


Struggling Responsibility Sixth Inclined

by KiannaLeigh



Series: Struggling Verse [3]
Category: YuYu Hakusho
Genre: Adopted Sibling Relationship, Brotherly Affection, M/M, Minor Character Death, Parent Death, Sibling Bonding, Teen Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-05
Updated: 2017-09-05
Packaged: 2017-11-29 17:53:00
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Major Character Death, Underage
Chapters: 8
Words: 23,741
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/689782
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KiannaLeigh/pseuds/KiannaLeigh
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Temporary Edit: Under renovation! Please bear with me.</p><p>Kurama's step-brother becomes aware of his secret life when the two are forced to live together. Kurama tries to keep his brother out of his life for as long a possible, while Shuuichi is determined to show that he can hold his own in a world a demons. Based on the title which was a randomly generated phrase.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. To New Readers and Subscribers Alike

So it had been literally years since I wrote this, and just for fun, I read it back. While I love this story, I don't love how it's written. So I'm going to edit and repost it. This older version will stay around and one by one I will be posting the new version under the title "Struggling Responsibility Sixth Inclined: Redux". I hope the rewritten version will be just loved as the old one.

Thanks

Leigh


	2. Frist Not Inclined

Shuuichi Hatanaka liked his older step-brother quite a lot. He hadn't always, of course. At first he'd been mortified to learn of his very existence. It was bad enough that his father was marrying some woman that would barge into their house and expect to be his mother, but to have her bring her son along too! And a boy older than him no less! Shuuichi had silently fumed for days over this. He imagined a rough, crude older boy who would treat him like a servant. He had thought about hiding his video games and cell phone, just in case.

And then the worse news of all. His soon to be step brother had his name. Shuuichi Minamino. The younger Shuuichi had cringed just thinking about it! He had counted down to the day when he was to meet this Shuuichi and dreaded every day he crossed off his calendar. When the day had come he had been mortified in a much different way than he assumed he would be. The older Shuuichi had long blood red locks and deep green eyes. He looked like a foreigner! Plus he was so polite. Never a hair out of place, he spoke in the most proper way he'd ever heard anyone speak. Shuuichi remembered how he used to duck his head in shame after his friends found out about his older step-brother and started calling him a new-half. He had been embarrassed just to know the older teen.

However only a short time after they moved in, things changed for him. The elder Shuuichi was always nice to him. He wasn't just "polite to the son of my mother's new husband" nice; he was genuinely nice. He was never too busy to help with difficult homework. He always saved the last piece of cake for him. He always gave into pleas to play video games for at least three rounds before insisting they do homework. Most of all, he seemed to attract female attention to him. He was quick to tell the doe-eyed girls that flocked around him when he stopped by his school to walk him home just whose brother he was and how kind and wonderful his little brother was. Shuuichi had gone on his first date and gotten his first kiss before any of his friends, thanks to his step-brother. The older teen seemed to be the perfect big brother: caring, supportive, attentive, and smooth. He'd even shown him the finer points of who to show off for and who not to. In short, the elder Shuuichi was the best.

However every once in a while, the younger Shuuichi wondered about his older step-brother. There were times when he would wake in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom, and spot his older brother sneaking out the door. Sometimes, the elder Shuuichi left for days on end and came back with his usual grace a bit stiff and slow.

The garden was another mystery. Before Shiori and Shuuichi had moved in it was ordinary. It was pleasant, but a far cry from neighborhood garden of the year. Now it was over flowing with wild green vines and brightly colored flowers. It looked like a jungle, and the younger Shuuichi swore that he had seen some of the plants moving once.

And then there was his friends. The younger Shuuichi had noticed not long after the elder had moved in that his older brother had two sets of friends. There was his normal set that came over from school to do homework and projects (i.e. The run-of-the-mill teens who Shiori knew the parents of and who his father asked about their college plans). But the younger Shuuichi knew his brother had a second group of friends. He seen them only a few brief moments but knew they were odd.

There was a large orange haired man with a deep and unrefined voice. He looked like a goof to the younger Shuuichi and his name was Kuwabara. Then there was a boy about his age called Hiei. He had hair that stood straight up on his head and wore a bandana over his forehead. He always wore some sort of black cloak or robe and carried a sword. The younger Shuuichi had only heard him speak twice, and both times he was threatening death on someone with very graphic details. And then there was the delinquent. He knew the male's name was Yuusuke Urameshi from his brother calling him Yusuke and Kuwabara calling him Urameshi. He cursed, smoked, drank, and told lewd jokes, and yet Shuuichi seemed closest to him of all.

Shuuichi didn't know where his brother had met these people but they were apparently close to him. However for some reason they never came in the house. Or at least they never came in when anyone but Shuuichi was home. He knew they stayed when no else was there - the elder Shuuichi had often casually explained piles of takeout boxes with their presence, but the younger Shuuichi had never met any of them and he was sure neither his father nor Shiori had ever met them either.

Part of him thought it was normal that his step-brother had secrets. After all, no one could really be as perfect as Shuuichi seemed to be. However, another part of the younger Shuuichi was disappointed. How could his cool older step-brother keep secrets that went so far as to give him a second life? And if he did have a second life, why would it involve him with such brutish people?

One day as Shuuichi headed to his locker for his shoes after the dismissal bell had rang his mobile went off. He looked at the screen to see he had a text message from his step-brother.

_"Ototokun. I can't make it to walk you home. Gomennasai. Shuuichi."_

Shuuichi shook his head with a frown. Even in a text message he was so formal.

Putting away his cell phone he sighed. He supposed he'd be going it alone that day. He didn't mind. Shuuichi-niisan was in his first year of university after all, so he was lucky had hadn't moved out and that he saw him as much as he did anyway.

However this was still a bit of a disappointment. Walking home with Niisan usually involved a stop for snacks of some kind. He had gotten used to having the after school pick-me-up and with no money he couldn't get any treats himself. As he put his shoes in his locker he thought that even if he did have the money, he probably wouldn't go anyway. Half the fun of the snack was Niisan's odd selections and entertaining conversation. Without him, the whole thing seemed a little stupid.

So with disappointment and a bit of irritation lacing his features, Shuuichi made his way out to the street. He had begun to turn out of the gate to go home when a car horn beeped. Glancing a little ways down the street he saw his father's car parked, waiting for him. The teen cut quickly across the street and got in the back. Shiori was present as well.

"What are you guys doing here?" he asked.

"What? We can't pick you up from school once in a while so we can go out to dinner?" His father answered his question as he pulled out into the street.

"No! No! I didn't say that!" Shuuichi was glad to have the distraction from homework. "So is Niisan coming too?"

Shiori answered the question with a small smile on her face. "He's working at the college tonight. He had a homemade dinner planned but since he can't make it he's having us go out."

"Lemme guess," Shuuichi said without surprise, "he's paying."

His father nodded as he maneuvered the dense Japanese traffic. "May you be half as helpful as your Niisan," he commented.

Shuuichi sat back with a smile. "Nah. No can do Tousan. There's only room for one Golden Shuuichi in this family." The teen snickered as his father frowned and shook his head.

The restaurant was a nice affair. It had been nice but not uncomfortably high-classed. They ate a fairly big meal thanks to the amount of money the elder Shuuichi had shelled out for the dinner. The younger Shuuichi didn't bother to wonder where the money came from. He knew that Shuuichi's father had been a rich foreigner who had left everything to his wife and son when he died. Shiori had used some of the money to get by but now that she was married again, she had left it all to her son "to use as he saw fit." The younger Shuuichi asked if he would get such an arrangement in the event his father died, but was quickly shot down with the explanation that he wasn't responsible enough. Considering how sparingly his older "responsible" brother used the money, the younger Shuuichi figured that statement was probably correct.

When they left the restaurant, it was dark out. The only lights on the beginning of the drive back were their only guide. The restaurant had been a bit out of the way. Shuichi had been staring out into the darkness, dreading their arrival home and the full night's worth of homework waiting for him there. A sigh escaped his pouting lips. Distantly, he registered that his parents were discussing something boring and unimportant in the front seat. He wondered if there were some way he could get out of his work or see if Shuuichi would possibly help.

 _Shuuichi_ , he thought, letting his mind wander to his older step-brother. What was he doing at that very moment? Was he really working at the college right now? Somehow, Shuuichi doubted it. Call it a gut feeling, but deep down inside he knew his brother wasn't where he said he was. He remembered a conversation the elder Shuuichi was having late one night in the kitchen. Shuuichi had gotten out of bed to sneak some snacks, but had been stopped by the group dominating the room like it was theirs. Instead of going back up to his room he stayed to watch them for a moment. Older Shuuichi was talking about him, his father, and step-mother.

"I'm going to tell them I need to stay late. A study session with friends at the college. That's not so hard to believe."

"I guess not," Yuusuke's back had come into view. "You don't have to come along if it's gonna be a problem."

"You know perfectly well it's not. I want to help. Every little mission counts, right?"

In the hallway Shuichi frowned. Mission? What was that about? Were they voting for someone?

"He's right, Urameshi," Shuuichi knew that to be Kuwabara's voice.

"Tch! Whatever!" Yuusuke threw up a hand indignantly. "I was only trying to make things easier!"

"Well, it didn't work! So, naahhh!" Shuuichi saw Kuwabara stick out his tongue at Yuusuke.

Yuusuke nearly flung himself at the bigger teen, but was stopped by the elder Shuuichi.

"That's enough. This is completely uncalled for. Stop being so loud and think about everyone else for once," The elder Shuuichi's face was firm and serious. "My mother's trying to sleep."

Immediately, the two boys fell quiet and cast their gazes elsewhere in the room. Shuuchi peered at the older boys with confusion. Out of the corner of his eye he saw the boy, Hiei. He was sitting at the table with his eyes cast up towards the ceiling looking concerned.

Shuuichi was suddenly thrown out of his thoughts by the car the stopping suddenly, his body being thrown forward by the force and then being jerked back by the seat beat, all happening one after the other. He cried out and swung his eyes to the front. He didn't even get the chance to yell at his father for stopping so suddenly. The oddest something he'd ever seen was standing on the crushed hood of his father's car. Big and ugly with a huge mouth full of sharp teeth, it was a creature out of the foreign monster movies he watched, something like the wolfman.

It was right on the hood, howling loudly over the sounds of Shiori screaming, his father cursing as he slammed on the brakes, breaking metal, and smashing glass. The car ground to a screeching stop in the middle of the road before the beast ripped the windshield off the car and reached inside. He grabbed Shuuichi's father first. It took him by the neck and squeezed him until he jerked then stopped moving altogether. Shuuichi stared with wide terrified eyes as the monster tossed his father's lifeless body away and reached inside the car again for the screaming Shiori. It grabbed her around the torso in its vice-like grip, but was forced to release when she stabbed it with a knife from nowhere. The creature roared in pain, throwing its mighty head back and clutching its wound. Shiori tore out of her seat belt and out of the car. Shuuichi stared at the monster helplessly before feeling himself being yanked out of the vehicle.

At first, he thought it was the monster and began to struggle violently against the desperate hands, but after a moment's fighting Shiori's voice reached his ears. She'd undone his seat belt and pulled him out of the car.

"Shuuichi! Come on! Run!" She shrieked.

Running on pure adrenaline and still dazed, Shuuichi followed his step-mother's lead and ran into the forest. Rushing through the trees, Shuuichi heard the monster just behind them. It was crashing its way after them, its large body making it difficult for it to maneuver through the dense foliage. Shiori rushed them behind a thicket of trees and shoved Shuuichi to the ground. She crouched in front of him, with him on her left side and the direction they had come from on her right. Gripped tightly in her right hand was the knife with which she'd stabbed the beast. Shuuichi eyed the blade with fear and shock. It was hardly a blade at all but a jagged green glowing crystal. With danger so close and terror pumping through his veins however, he could hardly concentrate enough to wonder about it.

Shiori was shaking. Shuuichi could not only see it but feel it; the hand was on his shoulder cued him in to the slightest movements she made, and her to his. He was positive she could feel him shivering in fear too. Shuuichi stared at her tense frightened face and wondered how much she knew about the situation they were in. When thunder crashed above them and rain started pouring down, Shuuichi shifted his focus away from the woman and finally noticed how quiet it had become. There was only the sound of the rain, their breathing, and his heartbeat in his ears. Feeling like a deer hiding from a bear it seemed to Shuuichi the monster from the road was lurking in every shadow.

Finally after what seemed like hours of waiting, there was a loud crash of thunder, and a large clawed hand reach into their hiding spot and grabbed Shiori. In fear and desperation, Shuuichi grabbed her with both hands, but only succeeded in getting dragged out along with her. As the monster raised her up, Shuuichi's grip slipped and he fell to the hard ground with a wet, heavy plop. He looked up in time to see Shiori stab the monster again but this time it didn't let her go. Instead it grabbed her head with its other hand and squeezed.

Things were happening way too fast for Shuuichi to keep up. Something shot out of the dark and the monster's arm fell away from his body. The boy the elder Shuuichi knew, the one with the sword, appeared in front of the monster and drove his sword into his head. It screamed and swung at him, knocking him away.

"Mother!"

Shuuichi looked at the ground. No more than five feet from him, the elder Shuuichi was cradling his mother in his arms. "Mother. Stay still. It'll be alright." The woman was very still in his arms. Shuuichi could see from his place that she was smiling. Her lips moved a little. "Please don't talk! Mother! Please, be still." Her lips continued moving and then her eyes slid shut. "Mother! Mother!" The elder Shuuichi screamed and shook the woman gently. His blood red hair fell forward and blended in with the crimson rivers flowing down the woman's face. The younger Shuuichi watched as his brother's shoulders shook. He started to get up and move to him when the ground began to shake.

It seemed the forest was suddenly angry. The elder Shuuichi faced the beast and screamed in rage and pain. The color bled from his hair, leaving it silver white as he screamed. The grass, the trees, every living plant around them suddenly reared up and fell upon the beast who drowned under their weight. Turning slowly from the now dead beast Shuuichi returned to his normal appearance and looked back at his mother. The younger Shuuichi began to very slowly shake his head. This wasn't happening. This wasn't real. It couldn't be.

"Kurama." A sudden voice cut through the rain and grieving silence.

Shuuichi was surprised to see that his step-brother looked up at the name. The delinquent, Yusuke Urameshi had said it. He looked down at the elder Shuuichi with sympathy then nodded right at the younger. Shuuichi met his brother's eyes and held his gaze a moment before closing his eyes. He collected his mother in his arms then, seemingly deciding on something else, put her back down. He kissed her forehead before getting up, leaving her on the wet ground, and walking around her to the younger Shuuichi.

The teen looked up at his step-brother with eyes filled with fear. "Niisan. Niisan!" He climbed to his feet and just about fell into the older male. Shuuichi grasped him with more strength then he would have guessed he had.

"We gotta get outta here," the unrefined voice of the one called Kuwabara said. "I sense humans coming."

Shuuichi saw his brother nod and suddenly there was a whoosh that knocked the wind out of him and then they were dashing through the trees. He was somehow on his brother's back and they were jumping from tree branch to tree branch. Shuuichi held on tightly, more due to shock over the whole night than any fear of falling. Eventually they made it all the way back to the house.

It was all too soon that they were back in his family's kitchen, and everything seemed so wrong. The elder Shuuichi brewed some tea. The younger Shuuichi, sitting at the table, looked around the room. Yusuke was leaned against the wall, watching his brother at the stove with careful narrowed eyes. Stiffly and robotically, Hiei was wiping his sword over and over again with a rag, even though it was clean. Kuwabara was actually at the table with him, staring down at his hands. Shuuichi looked at each of the four several times before reaching his limit.

"Is anyone going to tell me what the hell happened!" he shouted. All eyes turned to him. "What ... what was that! Who are you!" He looked right at his step-brother. "Who are YOU! Why were you able to-to do those things! Why did that thing attack us! Why did it ... why did it kill," Shuuichi swayed and drifted out of the thought. He was too upset to even rant. His step-brother gave him a soft look.

"I know it hurts, and I know you're confused. Here," He poured tea into a cup and brought it to the table. "Drink this. It'll calm you down so I can explain." Shuuichi stared at the cup.

"I don't want it," He managed to say through grinding teeth.

The elder Shuuichi simply stared. "Please, Toutokun. Drink it."

Shuuichi stared at his step-brother before holding out his hand for the cup. He drank the whole thing in several long gulps then slammed the cup down. "There! Now-" Shuuichi felt a wave of dizziness hit him. He fell, but felt himself get caught. A blurry image of the one called Kuwabara hovered over him.

"Wha'd you do to him Kurama?"

"Yeah, fox," Urameshi added as he came closer. "What was that stuff?"

The boy with the sword came closer and looked down at him. A third eye glowed on his forehead. "Hn. fools. It was to soften his mind."

Darkness began to consume his vision, but Shuuichi could still hear his brother's voice. "It's better this way," he heard the older teen say. "It will be hard enough for him to accept being a orphan. He need not be burdened with the truth of the matter."


	3. Second Not Inclined

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Warnings:  
> Overall: Bad behavior, Sexual situations, Shameless homosexuality, consenting sex between legal minors  
> Current chapter: Mind fucking, Mention of abuse of a minor

Darkness. A deep black pit surrounded him. He was falling, or floating, or both; being pushed around by little waves of invisible energy, unable to breath, without control over his body or where he was going. He wanted to surface. He wanted to come up, take a long sweet breath of air, and stop swinging back and forth for just a minute. He knew that if he could only achieve that, a breath of air, a moment of stillness, then he could escape and he would be okay.

He waited and waited for something to stop him. There had to be an end. He waited for someone to grab him. He had an image of a man. A tall beautiful man kept reaching out to him from outside the darkness. His pallor skin stood out against the deep black of his surroundings, and he reached his slender fingers out for him. His bright golden eyes shone like stars in the darkness and his low cold voice called out to him:  _"Shuuichi! Shuuichi!"_

"Shuuichi! Shuuichi! Ototokun, it's okay! It's okay! You're safe!"

Shuuichi Hatanaka opened his eyes and took in his older brother's worried features. His red hair was falling in odd places around his face, and his eyes were red. It looked like he hadn't slept in days.

"N-niisan? W-what happened?" Shuuichi tried to sit up in bed, but found he couldn't. His whole body hurt. He looked down at himself. He was in a hospital bed. Thin white sheets were draped over him, and a hospital gown covered his form. He had bandages covering much of him under the gown. He knew this because he couldn't feel the gown in many places. In his hand was an IV. Shuuichi felt his heart-rate quicken and a monitor to his left began beeping loudly in time with his quickening pulse. The sound the machine echoing his heart's pace scared the teen even more.

"Ototokun. Please, you must calm down." His older brother was half standing out of his chair, hovering over him. "Please calm down."

His brother's words didn't comfort him. He simply panicked more. The younger Shuuchi's breath began to come in quick bursts, providing him with little clean air. Then suddenly he felt his brother grip him. He had slipped his arms around his shoulders and had his face pressed into is hair.

"Ototokun! Please calm down. Please." The elder Shuuichi's shoulders shook slightly as he held his younger brother. Shuuichi's breathing slowed as he let himself fall into the comfort of his older brother's embrace. He turned his head and pressed his face into his brother's shoulder. His hair was falling over that same shoulder and he felt the silky red strands caress his face. They gave off a light flowery scent that was warm and comforting. The younger Shuuichi couldn't help but picture soft rose petals as he took in the light, sweet scent of his brother's red hair.

After just a few more shaky breaths, Shuuichi felt his older brother loosen his grip and release him. The younger teen suppressed the urge to grab onto his brother and keep him close to him as the red-haired young man sat back in the chair. Shuuichi stared at his older brother and blinked slowly.

"Where am I?" he asked quietly. His Niisan looked up, and his lips parted, but he didn't speak. They simply stared at one another for some time before the elder Shuuichi closed his mouth and looked down again. The younger Shuuichi wanted an answer, but the broken look in his brother's eyes kept him silent. He'd never seen the older Shuuichi look so empty.

"There was a car crash," Shuuichi suddenly said. His hair was covering his face so all the younger Shuuichi could make out was his mouth. It was in a hard thin line that seemed to be chiseled into his face. "Your father didn't make it. Neither did …" The elder Shuuichi stopped.

His breath seemed to be caught in his throat. The teen wasn't even sure he was breathing. He stared at his older brother for a moment before realizing he was shaking. Slowly the older Shuichi reached out with his left hand and place it on his brother's slender one. The shaking stopping almost immediately, but the hand was so stiff. Shuuichi wondered if his brother didn't want to be touched. He stared at the stiff pale hand under his own IV skewered limb and remembered the hand from his dream, ever reaching for him in the dark. Suddenly he noticed his elder brother's hand on top of his own. His right hand had come across his lap and was resting so lightly on his that the teen hardly felt it. His thumb was slowly, delicately stroking the back of his hand where the skin rose to accommodate the IV's entrance. Shuuichi had originally panicked seeing the hideous little thing - he was deathly afraid of needles and like - but that small action made by his Niisan's tender digits put him at ease with the medical device.

Shuuichi swallowed the lump in his throat and dared to tear his eyes from the sight of his older brother's pale hands to look up at his face. His Niisan stared at him with blank green eyes. "I'm sorry," he muttered. His lips moved and Shuuichi understood what he said, but the sound was so soft, it was more like reading invisible subtitles than hearing anything. Slowly he shook his head. This wasn't happening.

XXX

The sun hung halfway down the western half of the sky, surrounded by thin clouds that were little more than wide brush strokes of milky blue across the sky. Oh the roof of the hospital, in nearly the same spot he had occupied not so many years before, Kurama stood looking at the out at the city. Like that past time, shadows stood out heavily on his face, sharpening the usually delicate features and giving the red-head a hard, aged expression. He watched the city below him moving on with its life with cold distain.

"Betcha you thought you were done with this rooftop, huh?"

Kurama turned and glanced behind him. Yuusuke was in the same spot as before. Unlike last time he didn't have that guarded, hard expression over his concern. There was only care in those deep chocolate eyes. He walked forward in the same easy stride he always did but there was something else in his body language. There was a worried tension in him.

"You don't have to look so tense, Yuusuke," Kurama said with a smiled pleasant smile. "I assure you these are different circumstances than when we met here the last time." He couldn't bring himself to reveal his desperation.

Yuusuke raised his eyebrows. "It isn't?" he muttered, not fooled for a moment. "Looks the same from where I'm standing fox. All that missing is the mirror."

Kurama didn't know whether to frown or laugh at the mention of their past. Too many mixed emotions were coursing through the kitsune's form.

"You know," the dark haired teen muttered as he stepped shoulder to shoulder with the kitsune, "that mirror would be an even worse idea this time. You're brother's underage, isn't he? What would he do without you since I take it you're going to be his guardian now?"

"What else could I do?" the fox answered. "I'm the only family he has left."

There was a long stream of silence between them after that. With nothing to distract him, Kurama was easily lost in his own thoughts. Just what would he do now? There was so much to consider. He could move back into his step-father's house, or maybe he should move into a brand new place with Shuuichi? That might be better. But then he'd have to find a place near Shuuichi's school. All this would be hard enough for the human without having to be a new student as well.

Kurama was going through a thousand things in his head. He had no idea how he was going to raise a child. Truth be told, Shuuichi was nearly grown, but Kurama had no parenting experience. He had purposely put off having children as a demon, and besides Yuusuke's and Kuwabara's antics, he'd had little experience with kids.

For once, Kurama Youko was stumped as to how to handle this strenuous situation. No amount of planning prepared one for children which was the exact reason he'd never become a parent. He had never liked anything that unpredictable. But now he had no choice. And there was the added stress of keeping his work as a detective secret. If Yuusuke hadn't reaccepted the position it would be different. But then again, if Yuusuke hadn't, his Mother and step-father might still be alive.

Kurama was so far into his thoughts he didn't hear Yuusuke turn and step towards him. Nor did he feel the intense stare the other male was giving him. It was only when Yuusuke spoke that he turned.

"Kurama." Yuusuke's voice was impossibly soft and gentle. Kurama stared at him, barely hiding his confusion and surprise. Normally it was only Keiko who received the softer side of the half-demon's voice. "Look, I know how I was raised. But if you look at it, I know all the things not to do with kids. The old man taught me a thing or two about passing on wha'cha got to the next generation, and Kami knows that hag beat enough good lessons into me."

Kurama stared at the black haired young man. For once in his life, he had no idea to what he was listening. He stared blankly and didn't say anything.

Yuusuke shifted. "What I'm trying to get at, Kurama, is I know I'm not the best candidate. Hell that idiot Kuwabara would probably be a better choice. But I wanna help. I don't know what I can do, but anything you think I won't or can't screw up, I want you to know I'll do. All you have to do is ask. I'll be there. I'll drop anything or anyone I hafta to be there for you and the kid." The young man had been staring into Kurama's eyes up until then but now turned and faced the door. "I just wanted to tell you that."

Yuusuke stared at the door like he was about to punch it down. Kurama just watched him. At first he didn't know what to think, but then he smiled. This was so like the brash youth.

"Yuusuke. Thank you but you don't have to-"

"We ain't arguing the point, fox!" Yuusuke shouted without looking at him. "This is the way it is. Deal with it." With that, Yuusuke walked away, leaving Kurama pondering the detective's outburst.

XXX

Shuuichi spent a long four days in the hospital before he was allowed to leave. The day he left Shuuichi was still in a daze. His father was dead. So was his step-mother. He had been told that by several doctors and nurses, but he still couldn't believe it. After his Niisan had told him that their parents were dead, he had gone into shock. He had been taken aback by his Niisan's obvious display of emotional pain that he hadn't thought about the whole situation too much. Then Niisan had gone off to get some air and Shuuichi had been left alone. As the shock of seeing his brother's pain wore off, the realization of just why the elder Shuuichi had been so distraught set in deeply. In disbelief, he had asked a nurse who came in to check on him what had happened.

The nurse had looked down at him and pressed her lips together in a face Shuuichi was sure she thought was cute. "Kawaisou. You don't remember anything?"

Shuuichi had frowned up at her then realized he didn't remember anything. There was the restaurant and then … nothing … nothing at all. "No," he whispered. "Nothing."

The nurse had shaken her head before telling him in an oh-so-gentle and very phony voice that he had been in a car accident. His father had lost control of the car on a dark road and they had smashed into a tree. His mother and father had died on impact while he had crawled out of the car and walked for a mile into the woods before collapsing.

Shuuichi hadn't been able to believe it then and didn't believe it now. That wasn't what happened. It couldn't have been. His parents couldn't be dead. They couldn't be. It wasn't possible!

As he was helped out of the wheel chair by Niisan he looked around the front of the hospital in a daze. This wasn't happening. It wasn't. It could be. He was dreaming. Just dreaming.

"Yo!"

Shuuichi winced as the voice hit him. He looked over to see a man striding towards them. He was wearing jeans and a tee-shirt. He looked a bit rough.

"Yuusuke," Niisan looked at the man with surprise, but a kindly smile desperately pulled at his lips.

Shuuichi looked back at him. Yes. He knew who he was. This was Yusuke Urameshi, one of Niisan's secret friends. But he wasn't being secretive now.

"I said that was gonna help you, didn't I?" Yuusuke pulled Shuuichi from his Niisan and held him strongly in his own grip. "You get the bags, and I'll take the runt."

"Yuusuke," Niisan said in a warning tone.

"Kurama, I'm going to help you!" Yuusuke muttered.

Shuuichi looked at him. "Kurama?" he asked.

The black haired man grinned. "It's our nickname for him," he explained. "You know the mountain? An old sage went to Kurama-yama and trained for a month. He was granted special powers because of it." Yusuke nodded at the red-head. "Your brother is very talented. He'd be able to do something like that."

Shuuichi smiled a bit. His Niisan could do something like that? It seemed too impossible, but somehow fitting.

"I believe you got that story wrong, Yusuke," The elder Shuuichi muttered as he shook his head.

Yuusuke shrugged. "Ah-well. Big deal. So why don't we get you out of here, kid? Hospitals give me the creeps!" Luckily for Shuuichi his Niisan was happy to grant that request. They got into his car, and finally, the tension in Shuuichi's limbs ebbed away as he rested in the back.

The drive was, dare he say it, almost pleasant. There was banter in the front that was interesting to say the least. His Niisan was scolding Yuusuke-san for not knowing what he called basic history. Yuusuke-san was insisting he knew enough. In the back seat Shuuichi stifled a few giggles before looking out the window.

He liked his Niisan's nickname. Kurama, like the mystic mountain. It fit him somehow. It really did. He wondered if Shiori-san knew about the nickname. Thinking that, something occurred to him. He was thinking about his Niisan and Shiori-san during the car ride home. That had been what he was wondering about when … when ….

He remembered the road and smashing sound. Maybe … maybe there had been an accident. But no, Otousan was still alive. Yelling, screaming, because there was something in front of them. He had been staring out the window, just he was now. Just like this. When it hit them? Another car? No. It had jumped on them. The beast, a growling and snapping savage. It had killed his Otousan. And then … and then … that man. The man in silver light. He had been there. The same one from his dreams in the hospital. He had had reached out for him. To save him? No. He was covered in blood. Shiori-san's blood. Her blood. Her blood.

In the backseat of the car Shuuichi began to tremble terribly. He barely heard his Niisan's friend shout to stop the car. He was in dark, wet place. A glowing dagger was floating in front of his face and beyond that, standing there, watching him was the man wrapped in silver. He was there watching him. Shuuichi tried to get up and couldn't move. In fear, he started screaming.

"No! No! Niisan! Niisan help me! Niisan! Niisan! NIISAN!"

Shuuichi eyes flew open to find himself being held tightly by his Niisan who was muttered to him and crying. Yuusuke-san was watching them and giving a few nosy bystanders a terrible glare. It was a few minutes before his Niisan let him go and then they were on their way again.

Shuuichi was lying in bed. Upon getting home, he had been immediately given some tea and tucked in. It took only a heartbeat's moment for him to fall under sleep's spell. He didn't know how long he had been asleep, but he wished he was still. His vision swam for the first couple moments, and his bearings were completely off as he swung his legs over the side of his bed.

With quivering and weak legs, he cautiously crossed his room, hands stretched outwards to grip the door. Using the wall as a guide, Shuuichi got to the stairs and froze at the sound of voices. Niisan was talking to someone. Shuuichi could hear Yuusuke-san talking too, but they didn't seem to be talking to one another.

"Hn. Well, this is interesting," a third voice said. Shuuichi recognized the voice but couldn't quite place it.

"There is nothing interesting about this, Hiei!" Niisan growled. Shuuichi flinched. His voice was so hard, so angry, so unlike anyway he'd ever spoke before. And yet so familiar. "What did you to him?"

"I made him forget. Just like you asked, fox," the one called Hiei muttered. Shuuichi eyes widened at this. They had made him forget something? "And by the way you should thank me for not killing him when I injured him. I wanted to, but I didn't."

"If you ever lay a hand on him," Niisan said dangerously "I swear I'll –"

"The injures were your idea, fox!" Hiei said harshly. Shuuichi now remembered Hiei. He was one of Niisan's secret friends. "You wanted him to look like he'd been in a car accident. I even rewrote the memories of all those humans to back up your little lie. You should be grateful!"

Shuuichi's breath caught in his throat. There hadn't been any car accident. It had been lie, a lie made by his Niisan. And his Niisan had told that man to hurt him for back up his lie. Why? Shaking, Shuuichi started to get up and go to his room.

"You're right, Hiei," Niisan muttered. "And I am grateful. But he's have nightmares. I think he remembers. I don't want him to get hurt any more than he already is. I couldn't stand that."

Shuuichi paused. He had done it for him? His Niisan was protecting him? He looked down at the floor. Maybe. . .

"You're out of bed."

Shuuichi looked up to find Yuusuke-san at the top of the stairs with him. He backed up, not knowing how the man had gotten up the stairs and past him without him seeing. Taking another shaky step back he stepped off the top of stairs and began to fall down them. In a flash, he was at the bottom of the stairs being held by Yuusuke-san.

"L-let me go! Let me go!" The teen shrugged out of the man's grip and backed away from him only to hit something. Turning he saw Niisan behind him. "N-niisan!" His brother had a dark look on his face.

"Hiei," he muttered. "Push the memories deeper this time." Shuuichi glanced to his left where the child called Hiei suddenly was.

"Whatever you say, Kurama."

Shuuichi opened his mouth to protest but all that heard him was his empty bedroom. Looking around the teen blinked. He felt like he had been dreaming just then and had forgotten it when he woke up. Sighing, he relaxed. The dream must have been something because he was tense all over. His muscles hurt from the strain.

Looking at the clock, he saw it nearly eight-thirty. Niisan would probably make breakfast. Smiling at the thought of his brother's cooking, Shuuichi slowly rose from bed so as to not aggravate his injuries, left his room, and went downstairs. He was surprised to find Yuusuke-san at the breakfast table.

"Ohayou gouzaimasu Yuusuke-san," Shuuichi greeted him.

The man smiled. "Yo, kid. What's up?" He kicked out a chair and then watched him as he sat down. "You sleep alright?" he asked.

Shuuichi nodded. "I slept like a rock. It was nice to sleep in my own bed, instead of that hospital bed."

"I'm sure it was, kid," Yuusuke-san agreed.

"Ohayou gouzaimasu," His Niisan greeted him as he came into the kitchen. In his arms was a pile of multicolored flowers. Shuuichi grinned.

"Gardening early today, I see," he muttered.

His Niisan nodded. "I find it relaxing. There won't be much time for relaxing with all that has to be done."

Shuuichi didn't understand at first, but then noticed the black ribbon dangling from his Niisan's hand. Their parents were dead. They would have funerals to plan. The teen looked down.

"Niisan?" he called quietly. "Will you be living with me from now on?" He waited for an answer but instead felt a hand on his shoulder. When he looked up his Niisan was standing over him smiling.

"Of course. We're family."

Shuuichi smiled in relief before turning to Yuusuke-san as the older teen spoke to him.

"And I'll be here too," he announced before leaned over the table. "You may not know it, but your brother got me through some tough times. Because of that, I feel like I should be here for you two. So anything you need, just ask. Your Yuu-niisan will be there for you!"

Shuuichi laughed while he heard his Niisan muttered something close to "Goodness, so dramatic."

"Well, Yuusuke," the elder Shuuichi said, "If you really want to help that much, pour some orange juice for yourself and Otoutokun while I make breakfast."

Yuu-niisan groaned about being put to work but got up anyway. Shuuichi smiled as he watched the two men start to bicker over what was for breakfast. The car accident had been horrible. He couldn't remember the details, but his memory loss and his injuries were enough to clue him into just how grave and gruesome it must have been. However, he was safe now with Niisan and Yuu-niisan. Everything was going to be okay.

But there was still this feeling like there was something he was overlooking. A tickle in the back of his mind was nagging him and refused to quiet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Word and culture explanations:
> 
> Niisan = older brother
> 
> Otoutokun = little brother but usually I write the more formal Otoutosan for Kurama's dialog.
> 
> kawaisou = poor thing
> 
> yama = mountain
> 
> The old sage legend = Yusuke is trying to tell the story about Mikao Usui who apparently was have supposed to have meditated on Mt. Kurama for 21 days and received Reiki healing energy in 1922.
> 
> Otousan = father


	4. Third Not Inclined

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Warnings:  
> Overall: Bad behavior, Sexual situations, Shameless homosexuality, consenting sex between legal minors  
> Current chapter: Bloody threats made to friends and their children.

"So then I said to her, 'Babe, this is Urameshi Yuusuke you're talking to. There's no way _that's_ gonna happen!'"

Yuusuke burst into a fit of laughter as he finished up the story he was telling the younger Shuuichi. As the two males laughed louder, the older of the brothers entered the living room. The elder Shuuichi had his hair tied up in a ponytail and a dark blue apron over his jacket-less suit.

"Yuusuke! You aren't telling my brother another one of your dirty stories, are you?" Kurama narrowed his eyes at the raven haired man, but Yuusuke only smiled.

"Naw, naw, Kurama-chan. I'm just telling a tale of my great adventures!" He puffed up like a fat hen and bristled with pride.

"He's making up stories about himself being a legendary demon-hunter again," Shuuichi explained and giggled. He was about to say how ridiculous it was that Yuusuke was telling him such stories at his age, but Kurama turned his firm eyes on him which stopped his laughter short. For a shortest moment, Shuuichi thought he saw something hard in his brother's eyes that scared him. However, as he soon as he began to react to it, the look was gone.

"Yuusuke, you're keeping my brother from his studies. At this rate, he'll never graduate. Toutosan, please go and finished your homework."

"How do you know I haven't done it already?" Shuuichi asked with a huff.

"Because if you had, you would jump at the chance to point it out and prove me wrong instead of asking me how I knew you haven't done it," Kurama explained with a smile. Shuuichi stared at his brother with wide eyes, and the older male just chuckled. "I know everything. Once one becomes the guardian of child, they gain the wisdom of the ages." Kurama smiled at his brother and his green eyes sparkled brilliantly. "Now go," he commanded firmly, and Shuuichi sighed in defeat.

"Okay," he muttered.

"Do your best, kid," Yuusuke called as Shuuichi left the room. "Fighting!"

"Fighting," Shuuichi responded. He rushed up the stairs, but stopped near the top and listened.

"I wish you wouldn't tell him those stories," Shuuichi heard his brother say.

"Oh, what's the harm, Kurama?" Yuusuke asked. "He likes them."

Shuuichi smiled and walked the rest of the way to his room. Ever since the funeral, Yuu-niisan had practically moved in. He was there nearly every night. Niisan even left the door unlocked and always had dinner ready for him. They hadn't moved out of the house, but Niisan had moved into what used to be their parents room. Shuuichi had a hard time going in there at first, but eventually got used to it.

As Shuuichi sat down at his desk, he remembered that he had once seen Yuu-niisan go in there to sleep one night. Usually Yuu-niisan slept in Niisan's old room, but a few nights before he had gotten up to go to the bathroom and seen Yuu-niisan begging to sleep in the master bedroom with Niisan. Niisan had told him it was just for that night and let him in, but Shuuichi was almost sure it had happened again since then.

Absently, Shuuichi chewed on his eraser. He supposed he didn't mind if his brother was gay. At least Yuu-niisan was a good guy. And if anyone could get around the social stigma of it, his Niisan could. Shuuichi supposed he was happy for them if they were together.

But one thing bothered him. Yuu-niisan was supposedly engaged to a woman name Keiko. He had heard Kuwabara-san talk about her a few times. She had even come over and was at the funeral with Yuusuke. Shifting, Shuuichi wondered if she knew about his Niisan and Yuu-niisan. He put his head down on the desk and thought. If she didn't know, what did that make his Niisan? If she did, was her engagement to Yuu-niisan a hoax?

Shuuichi was tired. He'd been having nightmares lately. He never remembered them, but he always woke shaking violently. Tired and full of questions he didn't have the answers to Shuuichi knew he wasn't going to get much work done. He closed his eyes to rest a moment.

The sound of the doorbell ringing out of the blue woke the teen. Shuuichi shot up at his desk and stared with horror filled eyes at his ceiling as if he expected to find the offending sound in flesh and blood looming over him, waiting to devour him whole. He had been doing that a lot lately. The smallest things would fill him with dread. In his nightmares, a man dressed in silver light loomed before him. When his body jerked awake, he was filled with alarm on his good days and horror on his bad days. The school psychologist had said he was coming up with some theories as to what was happening to him but they never went far enough to get any results. Talking about it every day during his free periods made the nightmares worse and, as soon as Niisan had heard, he had demanded the sessions stop, saying they did more harm than good. He had even kept him from school a few days, keeping him drowsy and calm with a strong, sweet herbal tea. Usually Shuuichi hated that tea, now he wished he had some.

He couldn't stop his heart from hammering in his chest. The sound rang again. He stood up as if it was going to materialize out of the air and straggle him. Breath coming in great terror-filled heaves, Shuuichi tried in vain to calm down, to think, to figure out why it was suddenly so dark in his room. Tearing his eyes from the ceiling the teen sought out the only light source in the room, his desk lamp which was shining on a nearby clock.

11:45. Shuuichi's heart rate spiked as he took it the numbers. It was nearly midnight.

It was nearly midnight and yet the doorbell was ringing. Who would come at such late hour? It couldn't Yuu-niisan. If he wasn't there by ten thirty he didn't come at all. Besides Shuuichi was beginning to think he had key with the way he came and went anytime he wanted.

No, it wasn't Yuu-niisan. But then who was it? Had something happened? Was someone bringing bad news? A thousand ugly situations ran through Shuuichi's head, making his blood roar in his ears. The panic rushing of his system was only brought to a halt by the cold terror that washed over him as he heard his bedroom door being opened.

Quickly he turned in time to see the knob turn and the door push open. Little by little the door inched forward and then stopped. Shuuichi stared at his bedroom door which was cracked now. He trembled silently, waiting for something to happen.

Seconds ticked by and for a moment Shuuichi began to melt out of his fear, but then a face peeked into his room. It belonged to teen boy about his age. The boy had sharp, tan features and deep, dangerous eyes. His eyes alone were so captivating it took Shuuichi a moment to realize the other teen had multiple ears on one side of his head. Shuuichi took a half-step, and in the time it took him to do that, the teen was gone.

Shuuichi stared at his door. He hadn't seen the face withdraw and hadn't seen or heard his door close. There he was, staring at nothing but his closed bedroom door. Blood rumbled in his ears, and large bubbles of sweat dripped off his fingertips from his palms.

He was going crazy.

With slow, shaky steps, Shuuichi moved towards his door. He felt as if the floor was moving underneath him. Nothing seemed stable, everything was flowing and crawling under his feet, threatening to throw him off balance. When at last he grasped the door knob, the solid stillness of it was as horrific as the deafening silence around him.

Taking slow, deep breaths that seemed too loud to be normal, Shuuichi opened the door and listened. He heard voices coming from downstairs. One was his brother's. He knew the soft murmuring of the elder Shuuichi anywhere. The other he didn't know.

Shuuichi's curiosity suddenly sprang to life and stamped down his fear. Another secret friend? How many did his brother have? Little by little, he crept down the stairs.

Déjà vu. That's what it felt like. Shuuichi knew that he had encountered this all before. If only his heart could stop pounding. If only the house would stop spinning. If only the stairs kept still. He'd surely remember then. Flashes and spikes in his mind drew him farther down the stairs. Fear tugged at him, and Yuu-niisan's image kept appearing. He saw him in his mind at the top of the stairs, blocking his way and at the bottom drawing him down. A little man in black loomed threatening at the corners of his vision, but Yuu-niisan kept calling to him.

"Out of bed. You're out of bed," Yuu-niisan kept muttering. His voice was low and dark. "You're out of bed. You're out of bed."

Shuuichi was unsure what the words meant. Was he scolding him, or assuring him that this wasn't dream? At the foot of the stairs, Niisan stood, looking like the man dressed in silver light. He was speaking, but Shuuichi couldn't hear the words. Half had him wanted to be comforted by his brother, the other half wanted to run from the man in silver. However, he did neither. He simply edged forward from the stairs and paused as he spotted a shadow moving on the ground.

As the shadow moved, his brother voice rose and fell a little until Shuuichi realized his brother was standing near the living room door and speaking. He was so close to the door that Shuuichi felt a half a step in his direction would cause his brother to see him in the hallway. He didn't know why, but the thought of this made terror fill him. His heart began to pick up speed again, and dizziness washed over him. The only thing he knew with absolute certainty was that he could not allow his brother to find him. Everything would be ruined if that happened.

Shuuichi inched with tiny step towards the entrance of the living room. He took the most shallow breaths he could manage as if the mere heat of breathing would give him away. As he drew nearer, he almost smiled. 'Who knows,' he thought ruefully, 'it might just give me away. This is my brother I'm dealing with.' His brother was capable of anything after all. He was a man too beautiful to be human, with hair like blood and cold green eyes that betrayed none of his feelings. As sharp and cold as an emerald, he hid himself behind false pleasantries.

As Shuuichi pressed himself delicately to wall, it never bothered him that his description of his beloved brother was less than loving. Somehow the only thing he felt was a sense of deep, slumbering knowing, waking at last. It was as if he'd remembered something very important that he'd lost long before.

"You have no idea what I'm risking in just letting you in here," Kurama's voice scolded in the whisper. "He gets into far more trouble than you'd think."

Shuuichi lifted his head as he thought. His brother was hiding things. He'd always known that fact. But now... there was something else.

"Well Kurama," another voice said. "It seems you're stuck." The other voice chuckled smoothly. "You could always kill the human boy. Or make him useful and sell him to some slavers."

A chill went down Shuuichi's spine as the air in the room seemed to get colder and drier.

"If you ever say that again, Yomi," Shuuichi heard his brother say, "I'll rip you in half. But not before tearing the limbs off that little bastard of yours and watching him bleed to death."

As Shuuichi's stomach churned at the threat, he was reminded that no matter what secrets his brother held, they were held to protect him. Suddenly calm, Shuuichi moved away from the doorway. As he headed slowly for the stairs, he heard the stranger respond to his Niisan.

"I was only kidding, Kurama. A little dark humor. There's no need to threaten me or my son," The huff in the man's voice almost made Shuuichi smile.

He obviously didn't know what Kurama was willing to do for his little brother. He heard his brother tell the man not to joke or risk losing his life and smiled. His brother was mad. That stranger didn't know how he was dealing with. Shuuichi was so amused by this he forgot to watched where he was stepping.

As he approached his bedroom door he stepped on creaky board and set it groaning under his weight. The teen froze. He didn't hear anything from the living room anymore. That meant his brother had heard the noise too. Panic began to crawl over Shuuichi. He'd be caught now. Over the course of three seconds, he tried to construct a lie he could tell his brother and failed.

He heard footsteps coming toward the hallway and he reached for his bedroom door, but then at the least second let go of the knob and began to shuffle down the hall towards the bathroom. If he did that, maybe he could fake just getting up.

He walked slowly down the hall, trying to act like he was still partially asleep. He knew without seeing that someone was at the foot of the stairs watching him, but he ignored it. After what seemed like ages he made it to the bathroom and closed the door. Once there he tried to think of what to do. He couldn't stay in the bathroom all night. Sooner or later, he had to go back to his room. He looking around he tried to find someone to use that would help the situation. However, he figured there wouldn't be anything of much use.

Then suddenly it dawned on him. The answer was so simple he felt stupid for not thinking it right away.

Shuuichi went to the bathroom and washed his hands. He tried his hardest to look half asleep and opened the bathroom door. He left the room without turning off the light. Slowly, he made his way back towards his room. He knew whoever had been at the stairs was still there, but didn't dare look. At last, he reached his room. He opened the door and was about to go it when he feeling of being stared at overwhelmed him. Without wanting to, he turned around and looked down the stairs.

To Shuichi's surprise, his brother was not at the foot of the stairs. It was the teenage boy from before. Multiple ears on each side of his head and all, he stood at the bottom of the stairs and watched him. Shuuichi stared at him for a moment before turning around and going back in his room. He left the door cracked and stripped off his clothes. Once he was in his boxers he turned off his light and got into bed. From his place in bed, he could hear his brother.

"Is he back in bed?" he asked.

"Yes," said a soft voice that Shuuichi guessed belonged the purple-eyed multi-eared teen. "But he left the bathroom light on."

Shuuichi heard his brother chuckle. "He always does. I bet he left bedroom door open too."

"He did," he teen responded.

Kurama laughed softly again. "Of course he did. And he didn't see you?"

Shuuichi held his breath and waited for the answer but the excitement of the night plus his soft bed made him suddenly tired. He was barely wake when he heard: "No."


	5. Fourth Not Inclined

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Warnings:  
> Overall: Bad behavior, Sexual situations, Shameless homosexuality, consenting sex between legal minors  
> Current chapter: Hints at scenes of blood and brutality, severe post-traumatic stress, shameless homosexual feelings for friends.

Shuuichi lay on ground. He could see from where he was that his body lay broken and bloody. He couldn't help, but cringe at all the blood pooling beneath him, muddying the earth with what should have been his life. He shook his head slowly in fear and agony, ignoring the pain that shot through his being at the simple movement. This wasn't right. This wasn't right!

Choking on terror, he attempted to get up but all the blood pooling out prevented him. He was sick to stomach. Shuuichi's mouth was open wide, but he couldn't scream. His eyes stared ahead of him in horror and pain.

_"Shuuichi! Shuuichi! Shuuichi!"_

"Shuuichi! Shuuichi! God, no. Wake up. Wake up! Toutokun!" Kurama's breath came in harsh heavy gasps as he called his brother's name. He shook as his wide emerald eyes looked out from behind messy, hopelessly tangled red hair. Tears welled in the corners of his eyes as shaking grew fainter and fainter.

"Your brother's fine, Kurama." Yuusuke said from his place on the bed next to the fox.

Kurama turned his head to find himself lying on his back in what was once his parents' room. The yukata he wore was soaked through with perspiration. The stench of sweat and fear was all the fox could smell. Slowly, he pushed himself up into a sitting position. The blankets were in a heap at the foot of the bed. Kurama vibrated with low tremors as he stared at them. In his mind, they were soaked with his brother's blood. Swooning, he felt tears sting his eyes. He flinched when Yuusuke's arms slipped around him.

"I pulled the blankets down there. You were thrashing. I thought you'd get tangled up." Yuusuke's voice was low and soothing in the frail kitsune's ears.

"What happened?" Kurama asked quickly.

"Another nightmare," Yuusuke responded as he began to stroke the fox's sweat dampened hair. "You even started talking in your sleep. If you get any louder, the kid's gonna hear you and come in here."

Kurama let out a long sigh and managed to stop his shaking before leaning forward to put his forearms on his drawn up knees. "I can't do this, Yuusuke. I'm not strong enough."

Yuusuke laughed. His laugh was more gentle than Kurama had ever heard it. Even his hands seemed softer. "Can't do what? What do you need to be doing that you aren't? The kid's safe. He's fine. He's moving on. You're the one who's in danger."

Kurama shook his head and didn't respond.

For the past week Kurama had suffered through nightmares. In them, every terrible thing he'd ever seen or heard done to someone was done to his brother. He was forced to watch it all, powerless to help him. Though his brother screamed in terror and agony for him to save him, he could do nothing but watch him be tortured and die. In the most recent dreams, he'd unwittingly delivered his brother to his murderers himself. Kurama again shook his head and didn't speak.

"It's going to be okay, Kurama," Yuusuke told him.

Kurama looked at the half-demon. Emerald met chocolate, and Kurama was overtaken by emotion.

At first, he'd tried to tolerate Yuusuke. The man had claimed he had no reason for sleeping beside him, and Kurama had not argued. He had been too tired from everything that was happening. Even when it became rather apparent that Yusuke was harboring lust for him, he ignored it and allowed the man in the room.

But now, it was different. Yuusuke never acted on the lust Kurama knew he was hiding. He held him only to sooth him from his nightmares. He never spoke, never touched him. Yuusuke simply gazed him with a cool concerned expression, an expression Kurama had only seen him give to Keiko. Suddenly, he remembered that when Yuusuke had first offered to help him, he'd given him the same soft look, spoken to him in the same reserved-for-Keiko gentle tone.

Kurama nearly fainted from a mounting lack of sleep, a terror he couldn't shake out of his head and rush of previously unknown emotion. He opened his mouth without knowing or caring what would come out of it.

Maybe he would say he couldn't raise Shuuichi without him by his side.

Maybe he would say he couldn't live without him by his side.

Maybe he would confess love for him, tell him he couldn't live without him, and ask him to be his mate.

Maybe he wouldn't say anything.

Maybe he would kiss Yusuke.

Maybe he would go so far as to ravish him with his mouth.

Maybe he would follow that ravishing with his body and make the detective writhe in pleasure under him until he fell to pieces under the weight of his love for him.

Hell, maybe he'd just growl possessively, or recite poetry, or start singing.

He didn't know and didn't care. For once in his life, Kurama was going to let pure emotion pour out of him without checks by his rationale or logic until he drowned Yuusuke in it. That's wanted he wanted to do.

But he didn't.

In the moment something, he didn't know what but something, started happening, Yuusuke's phone rang. In the half-light of early morning, Yuusuke released one arm from around Kurama and groped the nightstand for his phone. He picked it up and spoke in a whisper.

"Moshi moshi?"

"Moshi moshi, Yusuke. Ohayou." Keiko voice was clearly wide awake even in the early hour.

"Keiko," Yuusuke said. "Shh. It's early. You'll wake someone."

"Like who?" Keiko asked.

"Kurama. I'm in his room." Yuusuke shifted his eyes to look at Kurama, who was still trapped in his grip, pressed to side. "I stayed the night."

"Again?" the woman asked. "What for?"

Kurama wondered, had she known he could hear every word of their conversation, if she would keep the suspicion out of her voice.

"He needs me," was the only answer Yuusuke provided. Keiko might have asked more, but Yuusuke didn't let her. "Anyway I'm on my way out. I stopped in his room to check on him, and then I'm going to check on the kid and go."

Kurama frowned. Yuusuke wasn't telling Keiko where he slept. Even while he had him pinned to his side, he was lying about exactly where he'd stayed in the house.

"Okay," Keiko said. "Don't be late. The train will leave without you, and I will be on it."

"Right right. See you then."

"See you."

Yuusuke hung up the phone and looked back at Kurama as if he expected something to happen or Kurama to speak. Kurama stared back into those chocolate eyes only to push himself away from Yuusuke.

"You're mad," Yuusuke said quickly. Kurama stood, but didn't look at the raven haired man.

"I'm not," he retorted.

"You are." Yuusuke shifted. "Keiko's parents are homophobic, and she's determined to cure it with exposure therapy. She has them watching documentaries and what-not. I don't want to get sucked into that."

"You're homophobic?" Kurama said coolly as he brushed the knots out of his hair. "Or are you gay?" He pretended to be absorbed in brushing his hair but really he was watching Yuusuke in the mirror.

"Keiko already thinks I broke up with her to date you. If I tell her I sleep in your room, she'll drag me over to her house and make me part of her parents' exposure therapy."

At his mother's vanity, Kurama paused for the smallest of moments. "You … broke up with Keiko?"

Yuusuke shrugged. "Well, we never actually went out. Everybody just assumed we were an item. What I did was I finally asked her straight out 'Look we aren't dating, are we?' and she basically said no. So that was that." The raven haired man looked over at Kurama, who had resumed brushing his hair. "We're going to some college thing. She wants me to come along. It's bitch-early so I gotta be at the station in about twenty minutes."

"Then you'd better get going," Kurama responded distantly.

"Sure," Yuusuke muttered as he got up. "Want me to wake the brat?"

"No need," Kurama said getting up. "I'm going to make him some tea to go with his breakfast. I'll wake him up afterwards." Yuusuke stepped aside to let Kurama pass him. He watched as Kurama fixed his yukata on the way to the kitchen and got himself some orange juice as Kurama made the tea.

Sipping his juice, Yusuke watched silently as Kurama mixed the herbs for Shuuichi's tea into some hot water with some green tea powder. The raven haired half demon frowned heavily as he looked at the mixture. "You know, I'm new at this whole taking care of a kid thing, but honestly I don't think that that's right."

Kurama barely looked at him as he poured the tea into a cup. "You don't think what is right, Yuusuke?"

"That tea. Excuse me, but I think it's questionable parenting to drug your child." Yuusuke raised his glass to his lips. "Not to mention to have Hiei attack and brain-molest him," he muttered from behind his glass.

Kurama turned to the detective and glared. "And what do you suppose I do instead?" the fox asked in a cold tone. "Do you suppose I tell him everything? Tell him I'm a yokai, tell him about my life, tell him that because I told Mother everything and gave her that damned knife to protect herself, the yokai WE were supposed to capture found them instead and butchered them like animals? Is that what you think I should do, Yuusuke?"

Kurama trembled with rage as the red bled out of his hair bring him ever closer to being an anger fueled demon with each passing moment. Yuusuke regarded Kurama with wide eyes for a moment before putting down his glass and approaching him. The fox tensed defensively, but Yuusuke ignored that and wrapped his arms around him. He pretended he didn't realize what thin ice he was on and pressed his mouth to the fox's.

At first, Kurama tensed and almost recoiled, but after a moment, he melted into the kiss. In truth, Yuusuke was hardly the expert kisser, but what he lacked in practical knowledge, he made up for with blind passion.

The fact of the matter was he'd lied to Kurama. Yuusuke had not just broken up with Keiko. They'd stopped entertaining the notion of being together long before, and Keiko just didn't suspect the reason for Yuusuke's withdrawal was Kurama, she knew. He had told her. He'd told her about his budding feelings, having no one else to turn to. He'd confessed he didn't know what to do and she'd urged him to make a move, any move.

"Worm your way into his heart," were her exact words.

However Yuusuke, for once in his life, had been too scared to try anything. That was until that night. He'd seen Kurama broken before, but never like that. Even when his mother was on the brink of death in that hospital, Kurama hadn't been so tortured. Yuusuke had seen the pain on his face as he clutched his mother's body, the deep guilt as he'd handed his unconscious brother over to Hiei to be roughed up, the remorse when he dropped his brother at the wreck of the car to be discovered. That had been the night Yuusuke realized he'd die a thousand times over before he'd let one more sad tear roll down the kitsune's cheek.

However for all his resolve, he still hadn't been able to tell the fox how he felt. Whenever he looked into his eyes, he choked. But a kiss left nothing to chance. Yuusuke was more of a man of action than words anyway.

Parting with the fox, Yuusuke gazed up into the gold flecked green eyes with a sad frown. "It wasn't your fault," he murmured.

Kurama pulled away and made a "tsk" noise in disgust.

"It wasn't!" Yuusuke pushed. "It was an accident, Kurama!"

"It was my fault," the fox insisted as he turned back to the detective. "I thought that by telling Mother everything about myself I could protect her. I thought that if she knew what to be prepared for, that she could avoid getting hurt." He scoffed as he turned his face away again. "I even gave her that damned knife. I told her to always keep it with her, to protect herself." He shook his head. "I was fool. That knife stands out like a sore thumb in the human world. It led that beast right to her."

The kitsune's voice broke as regret wracked his body. Yuusuke was at his side, pressed to him, in an instant.

"It wasn't like that, Kurama," the detective said soothingly. "How could we have known that would happen? The demon was going that way anyway. Even if she hadn't had the knife, it probably would have stopped to eat them."

"It might have not bothered with them with us chasing it," Kurama countered.

"You know that's a lie," Yuusuke snapped. "If she hadn't had the knife, she would have died faster, and your brother would be dead. She got him away, and he is alive because you taught her how to fight." Yuusuke took Kurama by the shoulder and shook him. "You can't fight an enemy you don't know about. You of all people must believe in the power of knowledge. Your brother is a sitting duck the way he is. Do you think demons will leave him alone just because he doesn't know about them? Did Hiei do that with Keiko? And Hiei is one of the more honorable demons out there. Kurama, you can't protect him forever. The best chance you can give him is a fighting chance."

Kurama stared Yuusuke down but his eyes lacked their usual steadiness. "I can't lose him, Yuusuke," he whispered. "I couldn't bare it."

Yuusuke moved in quickly and smothered the fox with a long kiss. When he parted with redhead the detective murmured against his lips. "I won't let that happen. I will protect him. For you. Come on, Kurama. I'm not good at much, but beating the shit out of people who threaten the people I care about is something even I can do."

Kurama chuckled as he broke away from the half demon. "You never give yourself enough credit, Yuusuke," he said with his normal smoothness returned to its rightful pride of place. "You have a great many talents." The fox moved with easy grace to place the teacup on a tray, but found his hand stopped by Yuusuke.

"Kurama," Yuusuke said in a serious tone. "Please. No more tea. He's needs training. He needs to be prepared, not drugged."

Kurama knotted his brows and opened his mouth to speak, but said nothing. Shutting his mouth, he just shook his head.

"Come on, Kurama. You can do this. Just dump it down the drain." Yuusuke looked up with a pleading gleam in his eyes only to be gently pushed aside.

"I can't," Kurama said gently as he moved to set the little tray on the table. "I'm sorry, Yuusuke. I can't."

Kurama stood with his back to Yuusuke for some time and neither of them spoke. Finally, Kurama looked over his shoulder.

"You'll be late. You'll have to run you know."

Yuusuke frowned, but started slowly for the kitchen doorway. As he passed around the other side of the table, Kurama spoke again.

"Do you want to go with me to Genkai-san's next weekend? I think Ototou-kun would like it there."

Yuusuke turned and gave Kurama a look. The fox smiled weakly. He was leaned over the table, letting his body weight come down his arms with his hands laid out flat on their palms on either side of the tray. He looked almost fragile under his thin yukata, like he would collapse if not for the table to hold him up.

"Gradually, Yuusuke," he said quietly. "It'll take time." The fox pushed himself off the table. It seemed to take so much effort for him to do so that Yuusuke had to resist the urge to go back over to him. "And I'll need your help," Kurama added.

Yuusuke smiled. "No problem."

The detective walked out of the doorway only to stop outside it. Shuuichi was in the hall staring at a tall tree-like plant in the corner.

"Sup kid?" Yuusuke asked moving his eyes from the teen to the plant repeatedly.

Shuuichi turned his eyes to him slowly, groggily and nodded. "Ohaiyou Yuu-niisan," he muttered. "Hey. Has that tree always been there?"

Yuusuke eyed the tree for a moment before shrugging. "Hell if I know. You're brother brings so many damn plants into this place I can't never tell what's new and what's not."

"For your information," Kurama said as he moved out of the kitchen, "That plant has been there for a week."

Yuusuke shrugged. "Well, that's news to me," he said carelessly.

Kurama scoffed. "Don't you have somewhere to be?" he asked irritably. "Totoukun. Go eat breakfast. You have soccer practice today. And make sure to drink," Kurama caught Yuusuke giving him a look out of the corner of his eye, "some orange juice. It's good for you and will help you stay focused."

"Hai, Niisan," Shuuichi said obediently as he passed the older males and went into the kitchen.

Yuusuke smiled as he stepped towards the door. "Okay. I'm leaving," he called. "I'll be back later today!"

"Hai, Yuu-niisan!" Shuuichi called.

Kurama walked with Yuusuke to front door. "I'm trying," the fox pointed out.

"I know," Yuusuke acknowledged. "Remember Kurama, I'm not good for much so I want to be helpful when I can. It's rare for a guy like me."

Kurama smiled as he leaned over to catch the detective before he reached the door. He pulled him back to the step and forced their mouths together. Yuusuke suddenly became aware of the difference between them. Now that Kurama was kissing him, instead of the other way around, he saw what experience added. Kurama captured him and press them together, coaxing his mouth open then ravishing him while barely laying a hand on him. When he was finally released, Yuusuke stared stupidly at the smirking fox.

"The kid could have seen that," he muttered with a grin.

Kurama laughed lightly. "He'll adjust," the fox assured his friend before turning from the door. "Tell Keiko I said hello," he said as he walked away.

Yuusuke shook his head. He thought about telling the fox that he hadn't actually stolen him from Keiko because Keiko both knew and approved of his feelings for him, but thought that injuring the fox's "I'm-so-sexy" pride was not the best way to begin their relationship. Instead he just said "I will," and left.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks Readasaur on Fanfiction(dot)net for Yuusuke's line about brain-molestation. I knew as soon as a read that I was going to use it. I'm only sorry I couldn't work it in sooner. Teehee. You rock.


	6. Fifth Not Inclined

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Warnings:  
> Overall: Bad behavior, Sexual situations, Shameless homosexuality, consenting sex between legal minors except this is set in Japan where the national age of consent is 13.  
> Current chapter: none really. Maybe plotting against well-meaning older brothers.

"…questionable parenting to drug your child. Not to mention having Hiei attack and brain-molest him."

Shuuichi's eyes widened but he hardly had time to react before his brother voice rang out coldly in response.

"And what do you suppose I do instead? Do you suppose I tell him everything? Tell him I'm a yokai, tell him about my life, tell him that because I told Mother everything and gave her that damned knife to protect herself, the yokai WE were supposed to capture found them instead and murdered his father ans step-mother like animals? Is that what you think I should do, Yuusuke?"

Shuuichi took a step back on the stairs. He was beginning to think the stairs had some supernatural powers. Every time he walked down them, something happened.

And now, whether this was chance or something else, he knew that the supernatural, the other worldly, was right in his own house. His brother was a yokai.

Shuuichi ran through everything in his mind, snippets of half-heard conversations, partially remembered scenes, murky feelings that he couldn't shake off. His brother was a yokai and all this time he'd been protecting him. Shuuichi bit his lower lip. The pain in his brother's voice and the deadly silence just after made hard knots grow in the teen's stomach. How much pain had his Niisan been enduring for him? He knew he'd been protecting him, but from monsters? Never.

"It was my fault." Niisan continued brokenly. "I thought that by telling Mother everything about myself I could protect her. I thought that if she knew what to be prepared for, she could avoid getting hurt. I even gave her that damned knife. I told her to always keep it with her, to protect herself. I was fool. That knife stands out like a sore thumb in the human world. It led that beast right to her."

Shuuichi shook his head silently. Niisan hadn't been there. He hadn't see Shiori-san fighting. Shuuichi remembered now, at least a little, that when his father was grabbed, out of the corner of his eye he saw Shiori-san. She already had the knife out. She had already been planning to attack. He remembered the woman twisting the knife into the monster's arm, gritting her teeth with effort. He remembered her determined voice when she called for him to run with her. She had saved him. Niisan hadn't been there to see that. She had as prepared as anyone could be for what had happened.

"Kurama, you can't protect him forever. The best chance you can give him is a fighting chance."

The teen gritted his teeth and nodded. His father had died before he knew what was happening. Shuuichi didn't want to end up like that. If this was his life now that he was with his brother, he wanted to fight. He had to fight.

"I can't lose him, Yuusuke. I couldn't bare it."

Shuuichi lowered his head. He had to fight. For his brother. He knew his Niisan wouldn't live through his death. He couldn't just sit back and wait for another monster. He had to something. He had to learn to protect himself.

The brunette looked up and his eyes lazily drifted to a potted tree in the hallway. There had to be something he could do. Some way to prove to his brother he could handle knowing the truth. He supposed he could wait for the chance to prove himself but …

"Please. No more tea. He's needs training. He needs to be prepared, not drugged."

A jolt ran through the teen. The tea. That night Niisan had given him tea and every day since he'd given him more whenever he got scared Or when he started to remember.

Shuuichi continued to stare at the plant. So that was first. No more tea. He had to avoid it at all costs. And that man. The little man in black who with the green eye on his forehead. If he looked at that eye he'd forget. He had to avoid him too.

But that still left proving he could handle things. All he needed was one shot, one chance to show he could handle things without being protected. That was all.

"Sup kid?" Yuu-niisan's voice called out to him.

Shuuichi froze, but tried not to show it. Slowly he turned towards the man. "Ohaiyo Yuu-niisan," he said quietly.

What if he knew he was there? What if they had both noticed him? One cup of tea and he'd be back at the start of this mess. He knew his brother meant well, but he could not let that happen.

"Hey," Shuuichi asked carefully, "has that tree always been there?"

Yuu-niisan turned to eye the tree with a frown. The brunette was torn between thinking he had been caught and had avoided getting caught. He waited with his breath held as Yuu-niisan observed the tree. Finally, the raven haired man sighed.

"Hell if I know," he huffed irritably. "Your brother brings so many damn plants into this place I can never tell what's new and what's not."

Shuuichi laughed inwardly, but kept his face carefully mute. He'd gotten away with it. He thanked his lucky stars it was Yuu-niisan he had to lie to instead of his brother. Nii-san came out after that and scolded Yuu-niisan before hurrying him out the door.

The teen again struggled to keep his face impassive as noticed that his brother instructed him to drink orange juice rather that his tea. The tea cup was in its normal place with his breakfast but Shuuichi noticed it was a little less full than usual. Apparently the elder Shuuiichi was trying to take Yuu-niisan's advice after all.

Thinking quickly, Shuuichi poured most of the tea into a nearby potting plant before sitting down at the table. Then thinking an empty cup would be suspicious he picked up his orange juice and began drinking like he was dying of thirst. When Nii-san entered the room he gave him a quizzical look.

"Thirsty?" he asked with a small smile.

Shuuichi was sure something good had just happened. He knew all of his brother's small expressions and therefore knew that at that moment, his brother was feeling good.

The younger teen smiled too. He wanted to seem bright a cheery but honestly was happy his brother was in a good mood. He was just plain happy over it but he also knew that the red-head seemed to be less suspicious of everything when he was happy.

"Yeah. I woke up feeling like I had swallowed sand." Shuuichi down the last of his orange and set the glass down. "May I have some more juice?"

Nii-san smiled and went to the refrigerator for the pitcher.

The rest of breakfast consisted of light conversation including a discussion of a small weekend trip to the mountains. Apparently Yuu-niisan's martial arts teacher lived up there, and Niisan thought he might be interested in it. Shuuichi didn't have to fake excitement for that. First off, he'd always wanted to see where Yuu-niisan trained. Second, if his brother was a yokai, then Yuu-niisan probably really hunted demons and if that was true then his master must have trained him to do so. The best way for Shuuichi to learn to do what they did was train with the person they trained with.

Shuuichi left for soccer practice with his Nii-san promising to ask the master of the doujou, a woman named Genkai, if they could stay for the weekend.

Soccer practice ended up being a miserable affair. Shuuichi was so busy thinking about the trip to Genkai-san's, his brother being a demon, Yuu-niisan being a demon hunter, demons existing at all, and possibly training to fight aforementioned demons, that soccer was the last thing on his mind. He missed passes, got the ball stolen from him more times than he wanted to count and even shot into the wrong goal. Actually, he shot towards the wrong goal. The goalie blocked the shot, to add insult to injury. All-in-all in was a miserable time, and Shuuichi was glad to be done with it.

"I'd better have more focus with demon fighting than I do with soccer," he muttered to himself as he heaved his bag over his shoulder.

"I'd say that's about right," a smooth voice said from above him.

Shuuichi looked up to see a figure standing on the fence surrounding the soccer field. It was a man in odd clothing but other than that it was hard for Shuuichi to see anything because of the angle he was looking at him and setting sun in the human's face.

The man stepped off the fence and landed in front of Shuuichi. The teen jumped back as the figure landed a fifteen foot drop like he was stepping down stairs.

"I'd say you'd better have more courage too. If I was here to attack you, I'd do it faster with that reaction. You drip fear and by extension weakness."

The brunette eyed the person. Now that he saw him clearly he saw wasn't much older than him, eighteen or nineteen at most. He had black hair and olive skin. Two pointed ears stood at either side of his head, while a single short horn peeked out from behind his bangs. However, it wasn't those things that caught Shuuichi's attention. It was the other male's eyes. Deep violet orbs peered back at him from behind black hair.

"You're him," the human breathed. "From a last week at the bottom of the stairs, you're the son of my brother's friend." Shuuichi looked the male up and down. He hardly seemed to be a demon but considering the circumstances of his father's visit (plus the horn and the extra ears) he had to be.

"I am. My name is Shura." The demon stepped closer and this time Shuuichi held his ground.

"Nice to meet you, Shura-san. I'm-"

"Shuuichi. I know. You're Youko Kurama's human brother."

Shuuichi frowned. "It's impolite to use my first name so casually, Shura-san."

The demon seemed to regard him for a moment. His cold purple eyes swept over him before he looked back into his face.

"I'm here to offer my assistance to you, Yanoko-san. I'll help you get stronger."

Shuuichi stared without speaking. He wanted the help. He had realized during his failed soccer practice that he had no idea where to start with learning to fight demons. However, the offer seemed too conveniently timed, too convenient in general.

"No thanks," Shuuichi muttered with a sudden air of hostility and attempted to move pass the demon only to be caught by the arm.

Shura-san regarded him for a while before releasing him.

"You need help," he said. "But I can see you're not stupid. The younger brother of Youko Kurama indeed. Perhaps you'll live up to the honor." The demon began to walk and nodded at Shuuichi to follow. "Your brother and my father have quite a lot of history. They go farther back than you can imagine right now." Shura-san eyed him. "I want to get into Kurama's good graces. It would be better for me and my father." He looked ahead of them again and his mouth twitched. "And for some reason, something in you resonated with me."

"Yeah?" Shuuichi asked carefully. "What?"

The demon stopped in the shade of a tree and looked him. For a while, Shuuichi and demon simply looked at one another. Then the demon spoke.

"Why do want to get stronger? Why fight at all?" he asked.

Shuuichi stared then looked away in thought. "Well, my father and step-mother were killed because they couldn't defend themselves. She lived longer than him because she had begun to learn to fight. I want that too. I want to protect myself so that Niisan doesn't have to do it all himself." Shuuichi frowned. "Also, I want to help him. I want to one day become so strong that he depends on me for help. One day, I'd like to surpass him.

"I've been thinking about this all day, about everything Niisan must go through. He used to come back bloody. I would see; I never asked him about it. And Shiori-san sometimes looked so worried. When Niisan's friends would come over late at night, they would all wear this expression as if the world was ending, and they had to stop it. I decided it wasn't fair to live so close to that, but be protected from it, oblivious to it. I want to be stronger than my brother and take up that burden. To surpass him, show him I don't need his protection and to do something like he is, something grand, that's what I want."

Shuuichi looked at the demon with a smile. "I sounds rash when I say it. I've only had a grasp on this for a day. But that's what I want."

The demon stared back at him without speaking at first. His face was unreadable. "I understand," he said at last. "You're going to need something to raise your spirit energy."

"My what?" Shuuichi asked.

"I'll explain everything, including what I know about your brother, later. Tonight sleep. Tomorrow I'll bring you something to help you start training. You'll mix it in with your tea."

"Great more tea," the teen muttered.

"I'll see you tomorrow," Shura-san said and with that he was gone.

Shuuichi sighed. Well, he supposed there was no turning back now.


	7. Almost Sixth Nearly Inclined

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Warnings:  
> Overall: Bad behavior, Sexual situations, Shameless homosexuality, consenting sex between legal minors except this is set in Japan where the national age of consent is 13.  
> Current chapter: Homosexuality, consenting sexual situations between legal minors, ambiguous consent to sexual contact

Breath in, breath out.

Shuuichi focused on his breathing as he rolled from one thought to the next. His brother was a fox. His brother was a thief. He had been a human child and grown to love a human mother. He had become a hero and saved the world along with his friends, and now he was raising him.

Shuuichi felt a bit of worry bubble up in his chest. Breath in, breath out, be calm. He could do this. He could do this. Shifting, he thought of the bags on the floor. They were going to Genkai-sama's tomorrow. It had been a month since the trip had been proposed. Kurama-niisan's job had kept him busy and then Shuuichi had tests at school. It was only now that the time had allowed them to go. But then again, that was probably for the best.

The teen was about to continue with his breathing exercises when he felt himself being watched. "Hello Shura-senpai," he muttered. It had occurred to Shuuichi some time ago that demons preferred to enter someone's presence without the person knowing they were there until the last possible moment. He was fairly sure it was a warrior thing and had gotten used to it by now.

"Are you ready?" Shura-senpai asked as he approached the bed.

Shuuichi was in a set of training clothes the demon had lent him when they began training. Every night for the last month, Shuuichi had spent a few hours training to raise his spirit energy before going to bed. While the first week had left him in bad enough shape for his brother to believe him to be sick and pull him out of school, Shuuichi was grateful for the training. The month of work left him ready to ask Genkai-sama for her training.

"Yea. I was just thinking about things," Shuuichi answered as he sat up. He stretched and looked over at Shura-senpai who sat on his windowsil and wore something akin to a suit. The human frowned.

"Why are you dressed up?" Shuuchi asked.

Shura-senpai sat down at his desk before answering. "My father wormed his way into some event the humans are holding. He wants to talk to your brother."

"Oh," Shuuichi said as examined the male. "So will I be on my own?"

"No. I don't trust you not to hurt yourself without me there. We'll be at the woman's tomorrow and will catch up then."

Shuuichi thought it over and was torn between being offended at the accusation of him hurting himself and grateful for the break. "I guess that's for the best," he said at last. "What kind of event is it?"

"An art show."

"Oh yea. Niisan told me about that. He asked if I wanted to go. I told him no because I thought we were training."

"You could tell him you changed your mind."

Shuuichi looked behind him to see Shura-senpai looking at him. He was watching him again. That was the one thing Shuuichi had noticed about him. He always seemed to be watching him.

"Do you think you think I should, Shura-senpai?"

"It's up to you, Yanoko-san."

Shuuichi contemplated whether he would go for a moment or two before looking back at the demon.

"Why do you call me that? Yanoko-san. What is it?"

Shura-senpai shrugged. "Your brother occasionally used it as a surname or pseudonym. As it is written as 'mountain' and 'fox,' it's rather plain and unoriginal for someone like Youko, but I guess its what he was hoping for. As for why, it suits you a little better."

"Oh. So it's Niisan's demon last name. Okay. Then I like it." Shura smiled, but then his face faltered. "But I'd better not use it around demons too casually. If they know who I am, and have grudges against Niisan then I'll be trouble, especially because I can't defend myself that well yet."

Shura-senpai smiled as he cross one long leg over the other. "Heh. You're getting more like him all the time, always thinking three steps ahead."

The human teen flushed in happiness at the thought of being more like his brother. That was without a doubt the best compliment he'd ever heard.

"I'm really not much like him. I can barely think one or two steps ahead," he muttered, but his humility hardly hid his pleasure.

Suddenly the demon got up. "Go tell you brother you want to go to the party," he ordered.

Shuuichi did a double-take, but went wordlessly to obey anyway. In a month, he had gotten used to doing whatever the other teen told him to. If he wanted to learn to fight he needed a trainer, and until Genkai agree to train him, Shura-senpai was it.

A few moments later, he returned to his room to find clothes laid out on the bed for him. Shura-senpai eyed the garments with meticulous scrutiny before turning to him.

"Try these on," he said and no sooner had he, was Shuuichi pulling off his clothes. He quickly changed and then stood as the demon looked him over. "Not bad," the demon muttered as Shura circled him once, reaching into his pocket. From it, he produced a small braided silver bracelet with a watch face on it. "Put this on," he said as he handed it to the human.

Shuuichi looked over the bracelet and frowned. "Shura-senpai," he muttered. "I can't accept this."

"Why?" the demon asked in a bored tone.

"Well, first it looks expensive."

"Don't worry about that. I didn't pay for it anyway."

Shuuichi stared with irritation on his face. "Also I was fairly sure even before that comment that you stole this."

"I didn't steal it," Shura-senpai assured the human dismissively. "I took it from my father's treasury. He lets me take anything I want from it."

Shuuchi stared at his senpai, unconvinced.

"Look," the demon huffed. "Put the damn thing on. I'll see you at the gallery." Before Shuuichi could say another word, Shura-senpai was out the window and gone. The teen looked out into the night after him. Sighing, he turned away from the sill, put on the bracelet, and left his room.

Shuuichi had to wait until his brother was done was fussing over Yuu-niisan's hair before they could leave. Apparently, the red-head wanted to make Yuu-niisan's hair behave without gel and had failed miserably, much to Kurama's dismay. After he had finally given up and stopped complaining about it, they got in the car and started the drive.

Shuuichi smiled to himself as they pulled out of the driveway. In the front seats of Kurama's imported car, Yuusuke and Kurama were going back and forth talking about the opening. Kurama-niisan, like his mother before him, was reminding them about expected behavior. Yuu-niisan, much like Shuuichi's father used to, was weakly complaining but agreeing to behave in a bored yet indulgent tone. Because of the switch of the seats from domestic cars to Nii-san's import they were even sitting in the same places as Shuuichi's former guardians, though who was driving was switched.

Shuuichi's shoulders relaxed as his thoughts drifted to his father. The man had always wanted him to have a nice family. That was part of reason his father had married Shiori-san, to give him the family he thought he deserved. Shuuichi somehow felt his father would be happy if he saw him. It was unconventional, but he had his family.

Shuuichi glanced out of the window and relaxed into the seat. Whatever lay ahead he was sure he could handle it. As he stared contently, the teen picked up on the fact that he was being watched. He glanced nonchalantly forwards. His brother and Yuu-niisan were chanting quietly, but the feel of eyes never truly left.

Shuuichi returned to the scenery whizzing past and wondered what had attracted their attention. He shifted and the cold silver of bracelet fell against his left wrist. Suddenly, it was apparent. Normally, he cleaned off anything he received from Shura-senpai to get rid of the demon's scent. The clothes had come out of a protected bag, the same way his training clothes had. But the bracelet had come out of Shura-senpai's and he hadn't cleaned that before putting in on. They could smell or sense the demon on the bracelet.

Shuuichi thought how badly this might end for him, but considering the car was still moving and neither of them had said anything he figured he was okay. He assumed that his brother was controlling his temper. Taking a deep breath, the teen decided everything would be okay. If nothing had happened yet he might as well not over-react.

As they neared the gallery, the conversation faded into the silence. Shuuichi was aware of his brother's annoyance. From what he knew of his brother's relationship with Shura's father, he was fairly sure he wasn't happy that he knew Shura. The teen knew he'd needed to think of something to diffuse his brother's mood or this night was going to be difficult.

As they got out of the car, Shuuichi prepared to confront his brother; however as he opened his mouth, Shura-senpai walked up to the car.

"Good evening, Shuuichi-kun," the demon said politely then nodded at Kurama-niisan and Yuu-niisan. The latter smiled in response while the former just stared at him.

"Hi Shura-san," Shuuichi said as he took in the other teen's very human appearance. He had only two ears and no horn. His eyes were brown. Shuuichi couldn't help but feel like the demon was missing pieces. "Thanks again for the present. It's really nice."

"Present?" Kurama-niisan asked as he came to stand beside him.

"Yeah. Shura-san gave me this bracelet. Isn't it nice, Niisan?"

"Yes," Kurama-niisan said as he looked it over. "It looks expensive."

"It was nothing Kurama-sama," Shura-senpai cut in. "Just a little gift between friends."

Kurama shifted to look at him but caught sight of his father in the process.

"Well Kurama. Hello." Yomi smiled as he came to stand beside his son. "I heard you from across the parking lot and decided to come say hello."  
Shuuichi looked in the face of blind demon and saw the same cool anger that he saw in his brother. It was apparent Shura-senpai hadn't told his father about their acquaintance.

"Good evening, Yomi-sama," Shuuichi said. He noticed that both his brother and the demon turned their attention to him. "I'm Shuuichi, Kurama's little brother."

Shuuichi saw Shura-senpai wince then noticed he had used the wrong name. He hadn't yet called his brother Kurama in front of anyone but Shura-senpai.

"Father I'm going to go in with Shuuichi so you can talk," Shura-senpai cut in quickly and taking the human's arm, lead him quickly away.

"What is your boy doing with my brother?" the teens heard the kitsune hiss as they left.

"How the hell should I know?" Yomi bit back.

Shura-senpai sighed. "This may have been a bad idea."

Inside the gallery, the teens kept themselves away from their respective parental figures. Yuu-niisan caught them once, but only to warn Shura against trying anything funny and to warn them both against showing up for a little while. Taking the hint, the teens went to wait on the balcony until the storm passed.

"I think my brother's going to kill me," Shuuichi muttered as he leaned against the railing.

"No. He'd kill me first. You he'll simply put on lock and key for a while."

"More like forever," the human teen muttered as he turned his back on the party to look over the balcony railing. "I'm trying to do what I think is right, and he spits on it."

"He's only trying to protect you."

"Well maybe I don't want that!" Shuuichi snapped as he shot a glare the demon.

Shura-senpai seemed to regard him casually before taking a step towards him and placing his hand over his on the railing. "You're stubborn," he said in a low voice. "But that's what makes you strong." He leaned in but Shuuichi backed up.

"What are you doing?" he asked guardedly.

"Your brother is in the same sort of relationship," Shura-senpai commented. "Why do you think it's odd?"

"I don't, but-"

"Then he quiet."

Shura-senpai leaned in again, more quickly this time and placed a quick kiss on the human teen's mouth. Shuuichi didn't react at first, but as the kiss continued, he slowly responded. It wasn't as if he hadn't been kissed before. He had gone out with girls before. However, he'd never kissed another boy.

At first, he thought kissing Shura-senpai was the same as kissing a girl. It was their first kiss, and it was a little awkward. They were both too stiff. Shuuichi was fairly sure they were both thinking that someone could walk in on them.

However, as the kiss continued the differences became apparent. Shura-senpai's taste was so distinct, almost spicy, very warm, and completely dissimilar any girl. His hands became part of the equation, something that was completely unheard of in Shuuichi's past explorations with, well, anyone. Shuuichi had to brush the demon's hand away from slipping under his shirt. It wasn't bad, but it was different.

"Shuuichi," Kurama-niisan's quiet voice called.

Shuuichi parted with the demon to see not only his brother but Yuu-niisan and Shura-senpai's father standing in the doorway. Yuu-niisan was looking off to the side. Yomi-san seemed to know what was going on without seeing it. Kurama-niisan simply looked at him.

"Come on, Otoutokun. We're leaving now."

Shuuichi nodded and stepped away from Shura-senpai, who seemed reluctant to let him go.

"I'll see you tonight," the demon whispered in his ear.

"No, you will not," Kurama-niisan said. "You can talk to him a Genkai's tomorrow. Tonight, stay away." Kurama-niisan held out his arm. "Come on, Otoutokun."

Shuuichi rushed to the door and as soon as he got close enough, Kurama-niisan put a firm hand on his back and guided him away. The teen didn't even have the chance to look back at the violet-turned-brown eyes he knew were watching him leave.

In the car, silence sat heavily on them for most the ride. As they entered the neighborhood of their home, Yuu-niisan finally spoke.

"It's not like you're not doing it, Kurama," he said. Shuuichi raised his eyebrows. This was first time he'd heard either of reference their unconventional relationship. "And it could be worse. I can think of five demons, male and female who would be worse match for him."

The car came to a gentle stop, and the clicking of the car's blinker was the only sound between the trio for the longest time. The light turned green, and Kurama-niisan finally spoke. "I am not angry over his choice of … friends," he insisted quietly. "I simply would have liked to know about the relationship."

"Why?" Shuuichi asked and failed to keep the bitterness out of his voice. "So you could make me forget him? He's the only one who's ever been honest with me."

The teen looked at his brother's face and instantly regretted his comment. Kurama-niisan looked like he had punched him or spit on him. He opened to mouth to apologize, but Yuu-niisan beat him to the punch.

"Hey kid! He was trying to protect you! Yea, it was sort of messed up, but that shit isn't called for. Shut your ungrateful mouth!"

"I am grateful!" Shuuichi quickly countered. "I'm just … angry at myself is all. I wish I could have been stronger. Shiori-san was able to fight that thing." Shuuichi forced himself to ignore how his brother winced. "She wasn't scared at all while I was so busy pissing myself in fear that I couldn't tell up from down. And Otousan … he just died. Just like that, he was gone. I didn't want to be like that and I don't want to be protected anymore."

Silence settled over them again as the pulled into the driveway. Shuuichi stared up at the darkened house. He could Shura-senpai's partially hidden silhouette on the roof. He would want to talk to him when he got in. Shuuichi was dreading it. He didn't know what he'd say after having kissed the demon, his temporary teacher, another boy. He had reacted on impulse and now almost regretted it.

"When you see him," Kurama-niisan muttered, "tell him I don't disapprove, exactly." He looked up at the roof and frowned a little. "I just want him to know something." He turned in his seat and planted his gold-flecked green eyes on his little brother. "Now listen. If he hurts you, I'll beat him nearly to death with my bare hands then chop off his limps with a rusty hatchet and feed them to my plants. Then I will skin him alive, set the oven to three hundred and fifty degrees, bake him to death and feed him to his father for letting him date you. Do you understand?"

Shuuichi nodded, pale with fear as he groped for the door handle. Now he knew what to tell the teen. He had to warn him his brother was crazy. He actually was going to kill him.

"Good," the kitsune said. "Now go up meet him."

Shuuichi got out of the car and briskly walked towards the house.

In the car, Yuusuke shook his head. "Kurama, he's never going to bring a girlfriend or anyone home to meet you again."

Kurama only shrugged. "I'm just giving proper warning," the red-head countered. "I worry about him."

As expected, Shura-senpai was waiting for him in his room when he got to it. The demon was relaxing on his bed, looking bored and mildly irritated.

Shuuichi relayed his brother message after being asked what had happened. The demon hardly seemed surprised. He told him that his father had threatened to beat him if he incurred Kurama's wrath by harming his brother. The two shared a sigh as they thought about their parents' violent tempers.

"So what about you?" Shura-senpai asked. "How do you feel about this? Do you like it?"

Shuuichi shifted. "This? You mean us being together?

"Of course."

"I don't know," he said honestly.

Shuuichi had stopped just beyond Shura-senpai's reach. He knew he was showing fear, something the demon told him repeatedly not to do, but he was afraid. Not scared for his life afraid, but afraid in another less stable way. Fear of the unknown, uncertainty, the sort of fear he used to have when he half remembered what happened that night. He didn't like it. Pain was better than uncertainty.

"Are you scared of me?" Shura-senpai asked quietly.

"No," Shuuichi said simply and made it clear that he was saying no more.

The demon stood and closed the distance between them. In the time it took for Shuuichi to lift his foot to step back, his senpai's mouth was on his. The wind got knocked out of him as he was spun around and pushed on the bed. A flurry of hot kisses rained down on him. The teen pushed weakly against the demon as he felt Shura's hand running over him.

It wasn't as if he didn't like it. He had decided that his attraction to Shura-senpai was alright even if it wasn't normal. However, this was happening too fast. Shura-senpai was too sure of things. He was doing things without giving him time to catch up and process the situation. He gasped lightly as he felt the other teen's fingers slid down his hip inside his pants. The teen wasn't sure when his pants had been unbuttoned to allow the demon access to him.

Shuuichi squirmed. He twisted to try to catch his breath under the shower of heated kisses. He just needed everything to be still a moment so he could think. He didn't need it to stop, but wanted time to decide how far he was willing go. It seemed to him this was like everything else. In over his head, helpless and weak, there seemed to be nothing he could do but wait to be rescued. He thought of his dreams of the man wrapped in silver light reaching out to save him.

He shook the idea from his mind. That was his brother, and he had already said he did not want his protection anymore. Shuuichi refused to call to him. He would deal with Shura himself.

Shura-senpai's hand was grasping him where his girlfriends had always stopped short of touching. He groaned. Or maybe Shura-senpai groaned. Shuuichi couldn't tell and didn't like it. Gritting his teeth, the human decided he didn't want to put up with Shura-senpai's explorations any longer. His hand slithered between Shura-senpai's and his bodies, moving up and grasping at the demons throat. His fingers found a pressure point on the neck that the teen hardly knew he remembered and without thought, he pushed firmly into the spot. He wasn't surprised when all at once everything stopped.

Shuuichi could hear himself panting. It was definitely him panting for Shura-senpai was still as death, staring down at him with his bottomless violet eyes. After a moment, the teen's breath came back to him, and he swallowed.

"You could have said stop," the demon muttered down to him.

Shuuichi stared up at him, thinking about what he wanted, before speaking.

"I think you should leave," he said carefully.

Shura-senpai silently lifted himself off of him and began to fix his clothes. Shuuichi watched without speaking until his senpai walked towards the window.

"I'll see you tomorrow," the teen said quietly. "You can stay in my room, if you want." Shuuichi pretended he didn't see the amused look on his senpai's face. "That is if Nii-san allows it."

"Then I'll see you tomorrow."

"Then you will."

After Shura-senpai had departed Shuuichi fell back on his bed. His nice outfit was still askew. The silver band around his wrist was suddenly very cold and heavy. He had not been expecting to deal with this sort of thing. He had come to except his attraction to the male demon. He could get past that. But it was still so overwhelming. Somehow Shuuichi had thought average problems like this wouldn't concern him once he began his training. It had never occurred to him that he'd have to deal with murky emotions and sexual attraction. Apparently these problems invaded everyone's life. He had thought he had things figured out. It seemed he was wrong.


	8. Sixth Inclined

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Warnings:  
> Overall: Bad behavior, Sexual situations, Shameless homosexuality, consenting sex between legal minors except this is set in Japan where the national age of consent is 13.  
> Current chapter: Sexual situations, Shameless and Unforgiving homosexuality, Possibly dubious consent to sexual situations, Vulgar Sexual Language, Sexual Possessiveness.

"I don't like it."

"You don't really have a choice."

"I don't like it."

"He's stubborn. You don't have a choice here."

"I'm his brother, Yuusuke. I don't want this for him!"

"He's a big boy, Kurama. If he wants to fight demons, you can't stop him!"

Kurama frowned as he glared at the spirit detective. "So would you put my brother through everything you've been through?"

"If that was the path he chose, I'd beat him as hard as could to make sure that any other hit he took would be nothing to him. I would make sure that if was going out there, his enemies would have one hell of a hard time killing him. I'd make sure that even if he came home a bloody mess he'd be able to laugh and make a joke about missing dinner! That's the guy I am!"

The fox frowned and didn't speak. Green met brown in a fierce but silent battle.

"Niisan?"

Shuuichi entered the kitchen. Their morning ritual had been interrupted by anger. Both pairs of eyes shifted to him and hovered over him. They were fighting over him. The teen realized they really only ever fought over him.

Kurama winced slightly as he brother came in. He didn't like the teen hearing them argue. He didn't want to inflict anymore emotional damage on him. "Good morning Otoutosan. How was your evening?"

"… It was … interesting." The teen sat at the breakfast table. There was an empty teacup by his tray which he eyed.

"Don't worry," Yuusuke said with a wave of his hand. "There's not going to be anything but nice normal green tea in that cup. I'm going to make sure of it."

Shuuichi smiled tentatively and shifted his gaze to his brother was a whisking his tea at the counter. His movement had a certain stiffness to them that was not usually there. The teen frowned as he looked at his breakfast. He remembered the broken whisper that his brother had used to tell Yuu-niisan that he couldn't lose him. He stared at his breakfast without eating it for a moment or two before the tea cup was set before him.

"You need to eat, Otoutosan," Kurama muttered as he glanced at his brother. "Genkai is not known for hospitality towards her students. Believe me."

Shuuichi looked up at the older man, hesitated for a moment, and then spoke. "I don't want to follow you," he said quietly.

Kurama-niisan quirked one of his perfectly arched eyebrows but showed no other sign of reacting. "You don't want to follow me?"

"No." Shuuichi shifted, looking for the right words for what he was trying to convey. "I don't want to throw myself into danger. I want to lead a normal life. I want to go to school and maybe university and settle down and get married."

He frowned as he thought. Some part of him knew he was lying, but his lie would do more to help him than the complete truth.

"But I can't do that dead and I have, as your brother, a certain responsibility. I won't sit back and your protected baby brother forever. I don't want to be your weak spot and I don't want to be useless to you. If you need … I know, someone to be low profile and help from behind the scenes and on the sidelines, I want to be there for you. I won't throw myself headlong to battle, but I need to know that if something happens, I won't be waiting to get killed. That's what I've decided." Shuuichi picked up his teacup with as little suspicion as he could. "For now," he added before beginning to drink.

Kurama cast a glance at Yuusuke, who was grinning. He was sure the toushin thought he was clever for being the one to place faith in the teen. It pissed the fox off to no end. However, there was nothing for it but to grit his teeth and ignore it. This, this awful unpredictable nature of parenthood, was the exact reason he'd put off having his own children.

"You lied to your brother," Shura-senpai said in a low almost mocking tone.

Shuuichi gritted his teeth and looked away. "Would you not say that so loudly?" They were currently in the room Genkai-sama had given him and Shuuichi was putting on some training clothes and preparing for his "first test". "If he hears you, this day will go very badly for me!"

"You should have thought of that before you lied to Youko Kurama." The demon sat down on the floor and made himself comfortable on Shuuichi's futon before looking up at the teen. He curled his lips into a smile and narrowed his violet eyes. "No one lies to him without getting caught, you know."

"I figured that."

Shuuichi was rubbing a protective salve on his hands on forearms to keep his skin from being harmed. The increase in his spiritual power buffered him from harm, but the less pain he felt the harder he could fight. He doubted he had the amount of natural pain tolerance necessary to withstand much without it.

"So why lie then?" Shura-senpai asked with a smirk.

"I didn't lie. I merely exaggerated certain points." Shuuichi turned to his senpai as he spoke. "I don't plan on throwing myself into danger. That was truth. It's just that I don't know if I want to go to university and have a job and get married. I didn't know if I wanted to that before all this. I'm taking things one step at a time. I only said that was what I wanted to highlight the fact that I have no intention of running off to get killed. And I did say that it was how I felt for now. So really I didn't lie. I highlighted the most important points of my argument."

Shura-senpai stared up at him before laughing. "The little brother of Youko Kurama indeed. You deserve him."

Shuuichi wasn't sure of that was a compliment or not so just turned his head away to finished getting ready.

In the end, the first test was everything he expected it to be. However, he knew he shouldn't be too thrilled over that fact. He had expected it to be the worst experience of his life thus far, excluding the night of the accident, and Genkai-san didn't disappoint. He hardly walked away from that miserable test in his opinion, but apparently he had limped away well enough for Genkai-san to give him another test. He had until the next day to recover, and then he would have deal with whatever else she decided to throw at him.

That was the next day though. Instead of worrying about it, he took a bath and fell into his futon with a sigh. Shuuichi was sure he was never going to be able to handle this, but the thought of the snarling jaws that loomed over him that night and the huge paw-like hand had crushed his father to death kept him fighting. He wasn't ready to die. Maybe he'd go to college, maybe he won't. Maybe he'd apply for Yuusuke-niisan's job, maybe he take something like his Niisan's job at the college. Whatever he chose he had to be alive to do it and with the infamous Youko Kurama as his older brother, he needed to fight to make sure he stayed alive.

"You brood as much as that damned fox," Shura-senpai muttered as he approached.

Shuuichi smirked. "You're too comfortable with me," he responded with a playful chuckle.

"I am?" the demon asked as he sat down next to the futon.

"Yea, I sensed you coming."

Shura-senpai snorted dismissively. "You couldn't sense demonic energy before, now you can. You're simply noticing the difference. I'll make sure to hide my energy from you from now on."

Shuuichi wanted to shrug, but he shoulders hurt – like every other part of him – so he didn't do anything.

"Get undressed," Shura-senpai suddenly commanded.

Shuuichi struggled to turn his head, as he was lying on his stomach and had to lift himself off the futon to do so, and stared at the demon. "Why should I do that?"

"I'm going to rub another salve on you to reduce the pain for tonight. It will make you sore and a little stiff in the morning, but it'll help to make you feel good at least for a little while."

Something in that explanation didn't sit right with Shuuichi. Part of him wanted to jump at the chance to reduce his own suffering, but he wasn't a fool. He knew there was something wrong with the way he said it. Something in his tone, in the way he used the words, the way they dropped out of his mouth was wrong, and Shuuichi knew it. However it was Shura-senpai and he couldn't be locking everyone out because he knew what they could do to him. Despite the danger he now knew about, he had to trust a few people and Shura-senpai deserved to be one of them.

"I can't move well. Help me?"

Silently, the demonic teen rose to his knees and slid his hands over Shuuichi's back. They came to the tie holding his light yukata closed and worked with nimble swiftness to untie the belt and begin to remove it. The belt was removed easily and Shura-senpai's hands moved to tug at the material from his shoulders. The garment pooled at his mid-back, holding his arms to his side as it wrapped around and tucked under him.

"I'm going to put it on it little bits," Shura-senpai told him, fingertips hovering just above his skin.

The salve was cool to the touch. He shuddered and goose-bumps formed as the cool cream was rubbed gently on his shoulders and arms. As the second scoop was applied to his back, previously touched places began to warm. By the time the demon switched to rubbing his feet and legs, Shuuichi's upper arms, shoulders and upper back were burning, tingling almost.

His teeth worried the delicate skin of his lips as he tracked Shura's work. Every stroke of his hands, every light touch of his fingertips, every whispering breath ghosting over slick areas of skin, ensnared Shuuichi's attention. What was worse was Shura seemed blissfully unaware of the effect.

The demon moved, gracefully and with a sway similar to a cat's, back up Shuuichi's body. "I'm going to reach under your chest and rub the salve on it. Try to lift yourself up."

Shuuichi wasn't given the opportunity to try. Shura-senpai slipped an arm under him and with amazing ease pulled him up until he was resting on his knees, leaning back, slumped over Shura's forearm like a doll. The demon used his free hand to spread the salve on his chest.

Shuuichi was so close to him now. He could see all the minute defining lines of his face and neck, he could smell the scented oils clinging to his hair and skin, he could almost taste the salt in the single bead of sweat running across his face from Shura's temple.

Before he could stop himself, Shuuichi pressed his hands flat to the planes of Shura's chest, and everything halted. The pure amethyst gaze locked with the swirling chocolate of Shuuichi's iris, and the two boys connected at the lips.

It was soft; it was warm; it was  _igniting_.

Though, as tired and comfortable as Shuuichi was, he couldn't keep this up. He broke the kiss and stared into Shura's face. He released his grip on him, a grip he didn't know he held, and when release of Shura-senapia's grip, fell forward and flopped back onto the bed, shutting his eyes.

Shura, however, didn't have such limitations. "Do you want to keep going?"

Shuuichi opened his eyes and in them, Shura saw uncertainty and lust. He nodded and moved to wrap his arms around the young human. No protest was given even when Shura leaned to whisper in Shuuichi's ear.

"I'm going to help you onto your knees, alright? You can keep your chest on the futon."

As the demon helped him to his knees, as he push his yukata aside a bit more, as he rubbed the salve lower and lower on his stomach leaving trails of heat behind his hand, all Shuuichi could think about was how soft Shura's hands were. For a fighter, there was no roughness.

He shut his eyes and drew a deep breath as those velvety hands graced his member. He didn't fight it. He didn't think he should bother. He had invited him, hadn't he? Wasn't this what he wanted?

Shura-senpai moved his hand gently over him. It felt good, of course. Shuuichi found himself moaning softly, panting heavily, and moving a little against that hand. However it did feel bit like masturbation which oddly enough made him feel more awkward than comfortable.

"Shura-senpai. Please. Do something else."

"Something else?" Shura-senpai jerked on his manhood while his other hand danced conspicuously around Shuuichi's entrance. "Alright."

The first digit hurt. Not much. Not like getting kicked down a flight of stairs into some rocks which was why he was sore in the first place, but it did hurt until the salve first cooled then heated the area. The second digit he hardly felt. It was no more than a pressure. However the motion of them was almost too much for him. He moaned out loud, shuddering in pleasure.

"That … feels good."

Shuuichi wasn't in a position to see, but he assumed that his senpai was smirking. The movement of his fingers grew faster, rougher, wilder. It almost hurt but as Shuuichi moved, originally to get away, but a spark of pleasure grew in his stomach. He clenched against his body's intruders, finding their movement too powerful but too wonderful. Moaning into his pillow, he moved his hips in what he knew was probably a terribly lewd fashion. He'd never felt arousal of this nature. It was making his head swim.

"Shura … senpai. I … can't … I can't … hold it!" Shuuichi wanted to hold back. He thought they should come together. That was how these things went, right? They would have their first time and climax together. However, Shuuichi knew he couldn't stand another moment of this bliss without coming.

"Then don't," the demon muttered as he pressed cool gentle kisses on the teen's lower back. "Come."

Shuuichi shook his head, wanting to wait, however he didn't have much choice anymore.

"I … I don't want – Ah!"

The sentence, not to mention the teen's will power, never stood a chance against the bombardment of pleasure sending waves up his spine. A scream was muffled and lost into the bowels of his pillow.

As the tension left his muscles, he felt as if he would fall over. He was glad not to fall stomach down in his own seed, but had difficulties breathing as he was. He might have asked for his senpai's help if the demon hadn't pushed him over onto his side before he could speak.

He panted, trying to regain his wits as he stared blankly at his senpai. "You … you didn't-" He couldn't even speak. He was dizzy.

"It's alright. Just relax." Shura-senpai smiled and lay down on his side. "You don't have to do anything," he told him as he slid his hand over his side and drew him in for a kiss.

This kiss was unlike their first two. It was warm and wet. It was easy to kiss Shura-senpai. Sure it might have been because he was in afterglow and rubbed head to toe with a cream that made him all warm and tingly but it was still nice. Shura-senpai tasted like cinnamon. He was a little sweet but very spicy and made Shuuichi's mouth burn.

They parted ever so slightly as Shura-senpai slipped his hand between Shuuichi's legs, teasing his entrance again. Shuuichi moaned and arched against him. Lust drove away his earlier lethargy and made him bold and eager. When Shura-senpai rolled them over to hover above him, Shuuichi pulled on him to draw him in for a kiss which lasted only until he gasped in shock.

"You're mine," the demon growled possessively. He drove himself inside the human teen and placed rough kisses down his neck. Shuuichi could do little more than simply ride it out. "This body of yours will only open to me. I'll penetrate you over and over until I've scarred you with my scent."

Though he heard the words, Shuuichi couldn't react to him. He was drowning in the pleasure.

Shura-senpai's thrust became faster still as Shuuichi arched into him. The furious movement was driving the teen mad. He had ceased to think about anything other than the moment of overwhelming delight to which he was subjected.

Then suddenly, he screamed as his second orgasm rushed through him. Under his own bliss he felt the pounding that had driven into over the edge stop. A feeling he had never experienced washed over him adding to the rush of sensations he already felt.

_Shura-senpai … is coming inside me. God! This feeling! It's too good. I can't take it._

The teen's consciousness flickered wildly as the rush of feelings whirled inside his body before finally being blown out. Shuuichi slumped, fainting after all that stimulation, and fell blissfully unconscious in the demon's arms.

Shura looked down at the comatose human. He was so still he might have been dead, but a small steady pattering in his chest betrayed his life. The demon looked over his conquest. No, his lover. He looked so peaceful and content, and Shura found himself smiling easily at the sight.

With gentle movements, he removed himself from his human and set him down. It didn't take long to clean everything up and leave him tucked into his futon.

Shura wanted to lie down and sleep with him, but he knew he wouldn't be able to resist arousing him come morning he if he woke with the human by his side. No matter what he wanted, his human had to earn Genkai's training. Shura wanted what was best for his lovely strong-willed human and as far as he knew, she was best human world had to offer.

The next morning Shuuichi woke up groggily. He was lying in a futon, which was something he wasn't used to. Sunlight was streaming through blinds and falling on his face. A shadow passed in and out of the sunlight, making the teen blink in confusion.

"Ototousan, it's time to get up. Genkai-san is not a patient woman."

That voice. It was so soft and warm, but also so firm and absolute. Nii-san. No. Youko Kurama-oniisama. Shuuichi looked up at the man without rising. The sunlight behind him made his hair shimmer. It might have been a trick of the light, but Shuuichi would have sworn he saw a silver tail swaying behind the man. He smiled.

"Ohayou gozaimasu, Oniisama."

Kurama-oniisama smiled. His smiled was so warm and genuine. The difference between that and his polite, fake smiles was so huge, it was a startling.

"You don't have to call me that. Things have not changed so much between us."

Shuuichi rose slowly. He brushed his hair out of his face and looked at his older brother. "I just want to be respectful."

Kurama-oniisama approached with clothes for the day in his hand. "In public, perhaps that would be more appropriate. Certainly in the places you'll be traveling where my demonic reputation precedes me, such as Yuusuke's territory and Yomi's kingdom. But certainly not here, Totoukun."

Slowly the teen nodded. "Okay, Niisan."

That was it. It was over. Genkai had accepted him as her student. He would spend his weekends at her temple. His school nights would be spent training at home. Kurama-niisan wanted him to finish high school and go to college too.

Shuuichi decided he didn't know what he wanted. He was simply happy he had gotten through that day. He didn't care about anything else. He wasn't thinking about the future at all.

Well, that wasn't exactly true. There was one thing concerning the future he was thinking about. He decided that there was one thing he had to do before he moved forward. Whatever happened after it was finished didn't matter him at the moment. This was the last thing he needed to do.

Shura-senpai came into his room with a smile. "I'm proud of you," he said as he sat down on his futon. "You did well."

Shuuichi stared at his senpai with a smile. "Yea, well. It's more along the lines of we did well."

That was the closest thing to the truth.

Shuuichi had gone into the test sore and stiff just as Shura-senpai promised. He had also gone in thinking about the fact that he had just lost his virginity to another guy, but that was something he pushed out of his mind quickly. It wasn't that he hadn't enjoyed it. He had wanted Shura-senpai and it was nice to want to touch someone and just touch them without rules and manners hindering his actions. Demons seemed so free in that way. However he couldn't get over the fact he'd just slept with him without a second thought. Some part of him thought he should have waited, should have thought more about it.

Nevertheless, he had slept with him and at the beginning of the test he'd put it out of mind and focused of the task at hand, surviving a match against a bat-like demon who lived in Genkai's forest. "Survive" had been the actual word Genkai had used. And survival had been exactly his concern until Shura-senpai showed up.

He had been grounded, trying to roll away from an in-coming attack and knowing he wasn't going to make it. He was going to get crushed or at the very least knocked unconscious. He didn't even have time to worry over it.

But then Shura-senpai had shown up. He had defended him long enough for him to get to his feet. Training had taken over, as little of it as he had. It was more like some primal instinct, to charge forward while he had the chance. His opponent had come at him but he had ducked back and in that space Shura-senpai had defended him.

And in that spilt second a strategy had been born. Shura-senpai defended, never attacking, only blocking. Freed from worrying about that task, Shuuichi attacked relentlessly, almost blindly. Shura-senpai had to step in front of his attacks at times but managed to maneuver out of harm's way beautifully. With his fighting style in place, Shuuichi had been successful.

In the present, Shura-senpai smiled. "Ah yes. Well that is true. But you fought beautifully, Yanoko-san. In a few years' time you may be about to fight on my level against real enemies."

"Maybe," Shuuichi responded as he pulled off his clothes. His face was set in a hard frown as he dropped the garments to the floor. He felt as solid and cold as stone to his very core and so was surprised when he was yanked easily to the floor.

He wanted to remain impassive, to not show an inch of any sort of reaction, but he couldn't. He wasn't his brother, and a mixed look of shock, confusion, and longing molded his features.

"I'm going to kiss you, okay?" The demon leaned slowly down, giving Shuuichi plenty of time to stop him.

However, Shuuichi didn't stop him. He didn't want to. He wanted to kiss him. He wanted to be with him. He leaned up to meet his lips, parting them as Shura-senpai parted his. There was no denying it felt good.

When Shura-senpai's hand slid over his bare torso he shuddered. He remembered how it felt to be with him. He remembered how good it felt to feel he other male buried inside him. Shura-senpai's mouth was on his neck, probably leaving nasty bruises. Shuuichi gasped.

God, it felt  _good_. He couldn't help but moan. He felt himself arched into the demon. His head was swimming.

"S-shura-s-s-senpai."

"Shh. Be quiet." The demon's hand wandered lower.

Shuuichi groaned. He wanted him. To simply be with him, never mind gender or what was right or wrong; he wanted to be with him. He wanted it single-mindedly. "Senpai. Stop."

The human received no response to his plea.

"Stop. I said stop!"

He wouldn't have thought he had the energy, but his anger and will produced one last discharge. It didn't hurt the demon, even at close range, but it did make him stop, if only out of surprise.

Shura-senpai looked down at him with a frown. "What's wrong?"

"Get out," Shuuichi said simply as he rolled into a sitting position. "Get out and leave me alone."

"Why? Did I hurt you?"

Shuuichi sat and looked at his hands for a moment before speaking. "Shura-senpai, I like you. Daisuki. Honto ga daisuki." He glanced at other teen and smiled. "And that's why I can't see you."

"Excuse you?"

"You saved me today."

"I helped you!"

"I didn't ask you to."

"You needed me!"

"And I don't want to need you! Not my brother and not you. I want to stand on my power. I like you but if you're around me, I'll use your strength. I can't get stronger like that." He turned away. "So I can't see you. Not now."

Shura-senpai was quiet for a few seconds, as if deciding how to respond before asking casually: "Do you regret losing your virginity to me?"

Shuuichi jerked his head up and wasn't surprised to find his senpai smirking at him. The teen blushed but met his gaze. "No! I wish I hadn't given in so easily!" Hearing his own words, he blushed a deeper shade of scarlet but went on anyway. "Or at least I wish I been completely sure I was ready for sex and not just given into my body, but I don't regret it since I like you. It does prove to me, though, that I don't think clearly when you're around. I have to –"

"Don't say anymore," Shura-senpai cut in. "I understand. I don't like it. I could defy you, but I won't have a weakling for …" The demon hesitated, wavered with his own words then picked up again, seemingly on a different train of thought. "I want you become worthy of me. I'm going home."

Shura-san stood but took a moment to brush himself off and fix his clothes as if he needed to do it. Even Shuuichi could see he was stalling. "I won't wait long, Yanoko Shuuichi. Humans have short lives. I won't have you wasting that time I could enjoy with you."

"I understand."

"Then we have a deal?"

"Then, we do."

Just like before, Shura-san left without a word. Shuuich felt odd. Part of him wanted to go out and call out to the demon. Part of him knew that was the last thing he should do.

He was cold, tired, sore, and drained. He knew the answers to the questions he had secretly asked himself. He was becoming a part of his brother's secret life. His Kurama-niisan had accepted him into everything. But as he fell asleep, he felt anything but triumphant.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So there. That's it. The end. I have nothing more to say. For now.
> 
> Culture notes and Translations:
> 
> Oniisama is the more formal and polite form of Oniisan or Niisan.
> 
> Otoutosan is the more polite and formal form of Toutokun. I may have gotten that wrong but eh … I've only taken two semesters of Japanese so there.
> 
> Suki means "like". Daisuki means to "really like" or love. Honto adds another level, "really love".

**Author's Note:**

> Story notes:
> 
> 1) A "new half" is Japanese for a transsexual who has not undergone or will not undergo a sex change operation. Kurama actually does get called this in the final episode of the anime when one of Kuwabara's classmates finds out he's a man after mistaking him for Kuwabara's girlfriend.
> 
> 2) Shuuichi wonders if their voting for someone because the word for "mission" in Japanese is also the word for "naming" or "nominating" someone as if for a position. I just thought that was fun to do. Sorry if it was confusing and stupid. I'm a beginner at Japanese and have forgotten much of what I learned.

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [Struggling Responsibility Sixth Inclined: Redux](https://archiveofourown.org/works/12386682) by [KiannaLeigh](https://archiveofourown.org/users/KiannaLeigh/pseuds/KiannaLeigh)




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